LOMON, Kim Min Ju and Moon Sang Min for 'Beauty in the Beast.' Photographs courtesy of Netflix
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A new era of K-mythical romance hits screens

While Beauty in the Beast explores young adulthood through a wolfish lens, Netflix is also gearing up to open 2026 with a lighter, faster-paced fantasy romance: No Tail To Tell.

Pauline Songco

Netflix is leaning fully into magical love stories with two upcoming Korean series that blend folklore, fantasy and romance — one set on a modern college campus and the other fueled by a wish gone terribly wrong. From werewolves navigating first love to a nine-tailed fox trapped in human form, the streamer’s early 2026 slate promises escapism with heart.

Currently in production, Beauty in the Beast (working title) introduces viewers to a campus romance with a supernatural edge. The story follows Ha Min Soo, a freshman who enters college carrying more than the usual nerves of young adulthood. Behind her calm exterior lies a secret she has spent years trying to control: she has the power to transform into a wolf.

After a childhood defined by intense training and self-restraint, Min Soo finally steps into a world where freedom feels possible. But college life quickly complicates her carefully maintained balance — especially when she becomes entangled with two very different men. One is Hae Jun, a senior known for his reserved demeanor and quiet kindness. The other is Do-ha, an unpredictable and charismatic classmate who not only shares Min Soo’s supernatural nature, but embraces it.

Kim Min Ju stars as Min Soo, portraying a young woman eager to explore life beyond the rules that have shaped her. Lomon plays Do Ha, a werewolf driven by instinct and freedom, whose presence challenges everything Min Soo has been taught to suppress. Moon Sang Min rounds out the central trio as Hae Jun, whose cool exterior masks a deeply gentle personality — earning him comparisons to a loyal “golden retriever.”

LOMON ('All Of Us Are Dead').

The series is directed by Jin Hyuk, known for visually rich storytelling and emotionally layered characters, while the script comes from Gin Han Sai, whose previous work has earned praise for bold narrative choices. Production is handled by Studio 329, signaling a polished genre drama grounded in character growth and romantic tension.

While Beauty in the Beast explores young adulthood through a wolfish lens, Netflix is also gearing up to open 2026 with a lighter, faster-paced fantasy romance: No Tail To Tell. Premiering 16 January, the series stars Kim Hye-yoon and Lomon in a story that transforms traditional Korean mythology into a modern rom-com.

Kim Hye Yoon plays Eun Ho, a centuries-old gumiho — a mythical nine-tailed fox — who grants wishes for a living. Unlike others of her kind, she has no desire to become human, preferring the order and independence of her immortal life. That certainty vanishes after a bizarre accident tied to a past wish strips her of her powers and leaves her fully human.

KIM Hye Yoon ('Lovely Runner').

Enter Kang Si Yeol, played by Lomon, a gifted but polarizing professional soccer player. Though supremely talented, his rigid routines and self-centered tendencies leave little room for emotional connection. When Eun Ho reappears in his life years after granting him a wish, the two are unwillingly pulled into each other’s orbit.

What follows is a sharp, comedic clash of personalities — a push-and-pull relationship full of misunderstandings, witty banter, and sparks neither wants to acknowledge. As magic collides with real emotions, Eun Ho and Si Yeol discover that navigating human feelings may be more difficult than any supernatural rule.

Rooted in folklore, the gumiho legend describes a fox spirit that gains a tail with each virtuous act, eventually earning the chance to become human. No Tail To Tell flips that tradition on its head, asking what happens when immortality is lost — and love becomes unavoidable.

Ahead of the premiere, Netflix will host a New Year Live Talk with the cast on 12 January via its Korean TikTok and YouTube channels. Together, Beauty in the Beast and No Tail To Tell signal Netflix’s growing appetite for fantasy romances that blend mythology, humor and emotional depth — proving that whether you’re a wolf or a fox, love is still the wildest transformation of all.