'He wants to kill his brother, but can't stand others killing him': Kim Bum on his and Lee Dong-wook's roles in Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938

Most siblings argue from time to time, and it seems that even powerful deities are no exception.

Fans of K-drama Tale of the Nine Tailed have already seen the conflict between the titular nine-tailed fox Lee Yeon (Lee Dong-wook) and his half-brother Lee Rang (Kim Bum) in the first season of the fantasy drama, released in 2020, and there is more to come in the newly-released sequel Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938.

The relationship between the brothers remains "hot, fierce and fiery", Kim Bum told AsiaOne in a recent interview.

The 33-year-old continued: "Lee Rang wants to kill Lee Yeon more than anyone else, but he can't stand others killing him — if Lee Yeon is going to be killed, Lee Rang has to kill him with his own hands and is not okay with others bothering him.

"If the first story of Tale of the Nine Tailed is about brothers bickering, their conflict, and reconciliation, this second story will feature Lee Rang not being able to stand situations that provoke his brother."

In the first season, Lee Yeon abdicates his post as a mountain guardian spirit to live in the mortal world, fighting supernatural beings that harm humans in exchange for seeing his reincarnated human lover (Jo Bo-ah).

Lee Rang feels betrayed by his brother for the decision, but, spoiler alert, the brothers eventually reconcile and Lee Rang even sacrifices himself to bring Lee Yeon back from the dead.

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The second season sees Lee Yeon sent back in time to the year 1938 in a mysterious conspiracy, where he meets the Lee Rang from that era. Though Lee Yeon is excited to see his brother, who is deceased in his timeline, the Lee Rang from the past is sceptical about him.

With his bloodthirsty attitude towards his own brother, it's no surprise that destruction is the name of the game when it comes to Lee Rang.

When asked to describe his character using only one word, Kim Bum picked "Thanatos", the Greek god of death.

"Thanatos is the personification of destruction, and destroys everything. Lee Rang's feelings of wanting to destroy because of the hurt he has experienced run deep, and I think in that way, he's connected to Thanatos," he explained.

"However, in Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938, Lee Rang gains something he wants to protect more than anything else. I think it'll be interesting to watch how this gumiho (nine-tailed fox), who gains something he wants to protect, changes."

'Sweet and savage'

It's not just his brother Lee Yeon runs into in the past, he also encounters the past version of his old friend and admirer, Ryu Hong-ju (Kim So-yeon). She was once a mountain god who now lives in the human world in 1938, running a high-end restaurant in Gyeongseong (the former name of Seoul).

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While Lee Rang is all about destruction, So-yeon described her character as "sweet and savage".

"Hong-ju is cute but also has a scary charm," the 42-year-old continued.

When it came to her role, So-yeon remained tight-lipped but hinted at "something" that would happen which would lead to three of the characters, including Hong-ju, having to join forces.

"Whether they will fight each other or help each other is something to keep an eye on," she added.

It is not certain who are other two characters involved.

So-yeon is a new addition to the cast in Tale of the Nine Tails 1938 and is joined by Ryu Kyung-soo. He plays Cheon Moo-young, yet another former mountain god who is a long-time friend of both Lee Yeon and Hong-ju. He, however, has a big bone to pick with Lee Yeon and travels back to the past with a stolen artefact.

Kyung-soo, 30, admitted that he did not watch season one when it aired but only did so after he read his script for season two.

"I became intrigued and wanted to see what the first season was about, so I went ahead and watched it," he said. "And I was amazed because there were so many great action scenes and the visuals were top-notch, all in all it was such a great show."

Kyung-soo told us that one of his main areas of focus upon joining the cast was to convincingly portray Moo-young such that the audience could believe he is a long-time friend of Lee Yeon and Hong-ju.

"How do I create the right dynamic between my character and those of Lee Dong-wook and Kim So-yeon?" he mused.

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Where would the cast time-travel to?

With Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 heavily featuring elements of time travel, AsiaOne asked the cast which time period they would like to visit.

Kyung-soo was intrigued by the 1980s and wanted to witness firsthand the "analogue era of South Korean society" that we only see in the media nowadays.

So-yeon, on the other hand, was not lured by the notion of time travel.

"I don't want to go back to the past because I'm so happy with the present," she laughed. "I'll stay faithful to the present and live well."

Kim Bum, contrary to the plot of the drama, wanted to visit the future.

"I want to travel somewhere that no one has been, and a place that no one has ever walked to," he said.

Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 streams on Prime Video with new episodes released on Saturdays and Sundays.

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drimac@asiaone.com

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