Collider writer Kelcie Mattson revisits Tale of the Nine-Tailed, a 2020 Netflix-distributed South Korean fantasy drama, arguing that it remains well worth watching several years on. The piece frames the show as a standout example of the reincarnation and "destined soulmate" romance trope, praising it for pairing an emotionally satisfying love story with high production values and tightly plotted escapism.

The series, written by Han Woo-ri and set in modern-day Korea, centres on Nam Ji-ah (Jo Bo-ah), a television producer and journalist investigating urban myths, whom the author highlights as a strong, self-possessed lead rather than a passive damsel. Through her work she encounters Lee Yeon (Lee Dong-wook), an ancient nine-tailed fox spirit living among humans. Ji-ah has spent two decades searching for him, believing he harmed her parents and tried to kill her as a child, when in fact he saved her and was unable to erase the memory. The romance unfolds as the immortal Lee Yeon falls for Ji-ah while contending with a scheming arch-nemesis.