Four instances of the nine-tailed fox in the media.
Hello everybody! Wow! It’s been 4 months since I posted something here. I’ve been pretty busy. I’ve been studying for a certification exam, working, and moving. I swear, moving is the most exhausting activity ever! It doesn’t matter if you’re moving across town or across the country, the stress is very real. But, now that the major headache of the move is over, I have more time to devote to talking about stuff…like nine-tailed foxes.
Today, we’re going to discuss four times where the mythical nine-tailed fox appeared in media. Of course, there are probably more instances, but these are the times that stick out in my mind. Before I jump into the list, here’s a little background surrounding the fox with the nine tails.
A Little About the Fox
Depending on where you are, the nine-tailed fox can go by different names. In Japanese folklore, it’s kitsune. Korea calls it kumiho. China knows the fox as the huli jing.
Whatever you call it, it’s a fox spirit that can shapeshift and lives for 1,000 years. It’s also pretty evil, sometimes consuming the flesh of humans to gain their power. The older the spirit, the more powerful they become. If you want to read an excellent resource about the history of the nine-tailed fox, click the link below under sources.
Now, let’s get into our list. There’s some spoilers, guys.
Naruto
I imagine the anime Naruto was a lot of people’s introduction to the nine-tailed fox. It certainly was my first time hearing of the spirit. In the anime, the fox wreaked havoc on the Hidden Leaf Village. Naruto’s father sealed the fox inside of his son, who was a baby at the time.
Possessing the nine-tailed fox often led to fellow villagers shunning a young Naruto. However, the spirit would prove invaluable to Naruto because it was the source of incredible power.
Pokemon
By far the most adorable version of the nine-tailed fox is found in Pokemon. Earlier this year, I was on furlough playing Pokemon: Let’s Go Evee on my Nintendo Switch. Once I got a Nine Tails, it was the Pokemon I allowed out of his ball to follow me. It’s just so cute!
In the game, Nine Tails is a fire Pokemon. To get him, you have to use a fire stone to evolve the super-cute Vulpix.
The God of High School
This is probably the more disappointing of the nine-tailed foxes on this list. It’s not that he wasn’t cool. It’s just that we really didn’t see a lot of him.
The God of High School is an anime based in Korea. The God of High School is a martial arts tournament. During the tournament, it’s revealed that Park Illypo, one of the participants, possesses the Nine-Tailed fox spirit. This enhanced is fighting while he was going against the main character Jin. It also proves that he is the guardian of a powerful key.
Lovecraft Country
My most recent encounter of the nine-tailed fox was in episode 6 of the HBO show Lovecraft Country entitled “Meet Me in Daegu”. And oh boy! What an appearance!
So, our main character Atticus (Jonathan Majors) is in the Army during the Korean war. While there, he meets and falls in love with a young woman named Ji-Ah (Jamie Chung). But Ji-Ah has a HUGE secret.
You see, Ji-Ah is merely a vessel for a nine-tailed fox. And this particular fox is a bit more traditional in that she takes the life-force of humans. But, she does this by having sex with them. While in the midst of doing the deed, the nine tails emerge and takes the life of the unsuspecting man. The scene is surprising, gruesome, and absolutely crazy!
Wrapping It Up
Well, that’s it for my list of the nine-tailed fox in the media. What’s your favorite foxy appearance? Let me know!
Speaking of Lovecraft Country, I’ll be writing about that next. I will see you later!
Sources
Beware the Kitsune, The Shapeshifting Fox of Japanese Folklore, Ancient Orgins website: https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-asia/kitsune-0012027
Kumiho, Wikipeida: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumiho#:~:text=A%20kumiho%20(gumiho)%20(Korean,its%20Japanese%20and%20Chinese%20counterparts.
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