My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox
My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox (Korean: 내 여자친구는 구미호) is a South Korean television series that aired on SBS from August 11 to September 30, 2010. The series, directed by Boo Sung-chul and written by the Hong sisters (Hong Mi-ran and Hong Jung-eun), blends elements of fantasy and romantic comedy. It centers on the interaction between a young man and a legendary creature known as a gumiho.
Plot
Cha Tae-woong (Lee Seung-gi) is an immature young man who aspires to be an action actor, much to the frustration of his wealthy grandfather, Cha Poong (Byun Hee-bong). After a series of mishaps, Tae-woong finds himself at a remote Buddhist temple. While there, he inadvertently frees a legendary nine-tailed fox, or gumiho (Shin Min-a), who had been trapped in a painting for centuries. The creature, capable of assuming the form of a beautiful woman, begins to follow Tae-woong, leading to a complex relationship as she navigates the human world.
Production
The series was announced in early 2010, with filming commencing in May. Shin Min-a was cast as the lead character, marking her return to television drama for the first time since 2007. The show occupied the Wednesday and Thursday 21:55 time slot on SBS, succeeding the drama Bad Guy.
Cast
- Lee Seung-gi as Cha Tae-woong
- Shin Min-a as Mi-ho
- No Min-woo as Park Dong-joo
- Park Soo-jin as Eun Hye-in
- Byun Hee-bong as Cha Poong
- Yun Yoo-sun as Cha Min-sook
- Sung Dong-il as Ban Doo-hong
- Hyomin as Ban Sun-nyeo
Cultural Context
The gumiho is a recurring figure in Korean folklore. According to legend, a fox that lives for a thousand years transforms into a gumiho, a creature often depicted with the ability to shapeshift into a beautiful woman to seduce or harm men. The series offers a modern, romanticized interpretation of this traditional myth.