dangermousie | Nine-Tailed Fox: not your usual kdrama

This morning, craving a kdrama, I finally started watching a drama I meant to watch for a really long time, Nine-Tailed Fox (otherwise known as "Forbidden Love" or "Gumiho"), made in 2004 and starring (OMG, just thinking of this cast makes me delirious): Kim Tae-Hee, Jo Hyun Jae, Jun Jin, Han Ye Seul, and Uhm Tae-Woong.

NTF is not really your typical kdrama: there is no terminal illness, rich-poor dichotomy, or stepsiblings in love. The heroine might be beautiful and angsty, but she kicks an enormous amount of *** (and can in fact take out the hero) and the story itself is a Korean take on a vampire tale, with forbidden love, mysticism, planned world takeovers, tragic pasts and shiny weapons thrown in.

The vampire in question? Our heroine, Shi Yeon (KTH). Only in this world, they are not 'vampires,' they are 'foxes', individuals who look like people but are not, have incredibly fighting skills, battle for supremacy with humans, and sustain themselves on human livers. Shi Yeon is one of the fox clan's enforcers, an incredibly talented fighter who is also loved by the (hunky, angsty, reserved) future leader of the clan. She is also someone who breaks the greatest taboo of all and falls in love with a human. And not just any human. Min-Woo, her OTP, is an officer in a secret organization dedicated to exterminating foxes.

Anyway, I watched the first episode and loved it. The heroine is both fragile and tough, the hero is hot and adorable (his grin!), the "other guy" is smoking-hot (and I swear to God, Uhm Tae Woong and him have a thing going), the plot is interesting, and it's all cheesy but in a very good way.

I posted a summary of it a while back, with character profiles, and am now reposting for your easy access and convenience :)

Shi-yeon ( Kim Tae-hee) - Natural History Museum curator
One of the warriors who have the best abilities in the NTF clan.
She falls in love with human which the clan considers an ultimate taboo. In the human world, she works as a curator at the Natural History Museum.

Min-woo (Jo Hyun-jae) - SICS special officer
Although he is a special officer trained to exterminate the NTF clan, he falls in love with Shi-yeon. As a result of loving Shi-yeon, he becomes friendlier towards the NTFs. But when his companions are killed one by one by them, he becomes newly hostile. As a possessor of warm personality, he forms a tenacious bond with his surrounding companions using his abundant affinity and humanity.

Mu-young (Jun Jin) - a hunter in the NTF clan
He holds the most powerful skill among the NTF clan warriors and is considered the prominent successor as leader of the clan. He is a model leader not only in battle, but is an excellent commander of the members in his organization. He is intellectual and reserved in everyday matters, so his thoughts are not revealed to others. He is not too happy about watching Shi-yeon, whom he loves, fall in love with Min-woo.

Chae-yi (Han Ye-seul) - Party planner and The NTF clan's female hunter
Alone among the warriors in the clan, she possesses a unique ability to transform. Very attractive, she is admired by many human men, but in reality, she only looks at Mu-young, the leader of the warriors. However, before her feelings towards Mu-young stands an obstacle bigger than Mu-young's feelings for Shi-yeon: the man she loves the most is the son of the foe who exterminated her family.

Sa-Joon (Uhm Tae-woong) - NTF clan's hunter; lawyer
He is the right-hand man who helps Mu-young. With a combination of his outstanding strategy and battle ability, he is an individual who Mu-young considers an older brother and on whom he depends.

Rang (Park Joon-seok) - NTF clan's hunter
He is a new generation NTF clan warrior who loves motorcycles and music. He has the brightest personality among the 'gu mi ho' clan warriors. He feels heartbroken when he sees Chae-yi, who he was the friendliest with, only look at Mu-young's back.

OTP: