Yobi, the Five Tailed Fox (2007) User Reviews (8)

The parts far out weigh the whole in one of the most beautiful animated films I've ever seen

[dbborroughs · 6/10 · 28 August 2008]

Beautifully animated (Actually its one of the most beautiful animated films I've ever seen on DVD) about Yobi, a five tailed fox, some aliens who've crashed in her forest, a school for troubled children, Mr Shadow, a bear, love, the ability to steal souls and a few things I'm missing.

Overly busy film is better in parts than as a whole. Its almost as if the filmmakers (including the director who did the stunning-in the truest sense-My Beautiful Girl Mari) had too many things they wanted to do but only had 85 minutes to do it in. The story as a whole (which boils down to Yobi falling in love with a human) just doesn't work. Mostly it's because there are so many side trips that distract from the "main" story and the side trips are more interesting then the main thrust of the story. I kept wanting it to go in directions other then where it was going because the plot line didn't have a natural progression to that point (actually it felt like a dog, or fox, being taken out for a drag instead of a walk).

This isn't to say its a bad film its not. Its actually pretty good but there are small moments, The girl looking in the mirror, the bear (in almost every scene he's in- though when he's first seen sitting by the lake is particularly touching), the little girl and her teddy bear (or lack there of) and others, that are of such incredible power and such absolute revealing truth that the central plot line feels so completely artificial compared to them. (I want so much to tell you about all of these little wonders but I can't bring myself to spoil them.) There is real magic in the moments that it makes the rest of the film seem weak.

If you are willing to take the good with the bad, if you want to see some stunning animation and experience moments of true magic, and are willing to work with a film to get to them I recommend this film. You'll like the movie and love the moments...(actually the moments and the films beautiful look are what make the movie worth seeing) I am in awe of the moments And gosh darn it that bear is some of the best character animation I've ever seen-and it mostly requires nothing but him sitting there doing nothing.

6.5 out of 10 (with parts that are much higher)

Charming and magical

[Rectangular_businessman · 8/10 · 10 July 2010]

I saw this Korean after seeing the visually impressive Korean anime "Wonderful Days" that despite having an incredible animation was filled with many clichés and stereotypes. Fortunately, "Yobi: The Five Tailed Fox", was much better than "Wonderful Days", having all the feeling from any film from the studio Ghibli. Even when the animation is not at the same level of any production of Hayao Miyazaki, it stylish and well made, with lovely colors, detailed sceneries and the best part of it, original and charming characters. "Yobi; The five tailed Fox" combines legendary characters with some elements of science fiction and familiar drama, and the most incredible thing is that it works very well. Even when this is not a masterpiece as the other film from Seong-kang Lee, "My beautiful girl Mari", is still a pretty charming fantasy for all the family, with very interesting characters and lots of imagination.

8/10

Outstanding !

[ebiros2 · 8/10 · 13 April 2014]

Very beautiful fantasy animation with outstanding quality from South Korea. Style is original enough not to be derivative of anime from other Asian countries.

Character designs are first class, and visuals have original angles to them as well. Korean animation has long history, and it is not well known but many Japanese anime are actually made in Korea (just like many American TV cartoons are made in Japan). Techniques are mature, and there isn't a hint of rough edges with this very fine movie.

I wish that Korean anime will gain more mainstream distribution as their action, love, romance, comedy have in the past 10 years.

This is one of the finest animation movie to come out of Korea, and is highly recommended for viewing.

It's on YouTube for free right now.

[zachmosley · 7/10 · 15 July 2022]

I found this movie on YouTube for free and I decided to watch it today. I quite liked it a bit. It has beautiful animation, the characters were decent and I liked the story. Yobi is a cool protagonist and it is interesting that she can change into a fox. An easier way to watch this movie is with English subtitles. I think CJ Entertainment did a very good job with this movie, and I give it a 7/10.

Very beautiful anime, akin to Miyazaki's work

[siderite · 8/10 · 8 November 2012]

If you like Miyazaki's anime work, you will probably enjoy "Yobi, The Five Tailed Fox". The story is the only thing you might have qualms with, as it is clearly not so well worked as the animation, but it is certainly not bad. The Korean legends are interesting. The only things that did not really have a purpose are the aliens. Yes, you read that right: aliens. Just replace those with friendly forest spirits and it's all good.

Bottom line: a very well done anime, emotional, but not too much, complete with evil and good characters and, indeed, shady ones (you will understand the pun once you watch it). Again, if you like beautiful animation and childhood stories and legends, you will love this film.

It's not just a love story (warning spoilers)

[kitsora · 10/10 · 21 April 2016]

The plot of the movie, as some other reviewers have posted, was supposedly dampened because everything was blamed on puberty. However, watching the movie and paying attention, you'll realize that like everything else the aliens though, this idea is wrong.

At the beginning of the movie the aliens are about to go home to their planet and Yobi gives a light hearted reply about what she's gonna do when they are gone. As shenanigans happen and one of them winds up in the human village, Yobi sets out to retrieve him. From the start it's obvious Yobi is a very in the moment character. She steals a charm while displaying all tails, almost falls in an enchanted lake, and has shows very little forethought.

When Yobi starts acting strangely, the aliens assume its puberty, and to some extent it might be, however it is not the main drive. Yobi does not spend any part of the film trying to seduce anyone or commit any other puberty related activities. However throughout she does become moodier. See, I don't believe this moodiness has anything to do with puberty and everything to do with the very real current drama in her life. Think about it, her only family is about to leave, a hunter is trying to kill her for no reason, and everyone keeps telling her about how she is suppose to be acting and feeling. No one, not even the aliens asks Yobi what it is she wants, and truly Yobi probably wouldn't know how to answer.

When the teacher tells her about how the rest of the village treats the students she can relate to them because that's how she thinks they would treat her. Also the aliens are fixing there ship again, meaning they will be leaving the moment they can. But with the boy and the class, even if its slightly confused, she thinks she might have a chance to stay there even as a fox.

At the end when Yobi sacrifices her soul, I doubt its completely out of some rushed love but more because she realizes that one, she screwed up, two he has the potential to live a happy life just as he is and three, and more sadly that she does not have that potential.

So especially to the reviewer who stated that Yobi should have been more antagonistic, Why? She didn't start out that way and had no reason for acting as such. Yobi just wanted to be Yobi, which (in my book) makes it a much better story then if she just wanted to steal his soul. Which has never made sense to me accept under certain circumstances. I mean really, who would really think they can be human and live a happy life after knowingly stealing someone else soul in order to get there. That makes so little sense I don't know why it keeps popping up as actual villain motivation, especially when an otherwise very smart villain tries to pull it off.

Comparisons to Miyazaki drew me in, but the film disappointed.

[Modranto · 4/10 · 4 October 2016]

I can see why this film has been compared to Miyazaki's works. Its best feature is its beautiful 2D (mostly) animation. Some of the story elements compare nicely, too. This is a tale a magical five tailed fox, Yobi, that inquisitively watches humans from a distance before finally getting a good excuse to change her form into a young girl and go spend time among the humans. There's potential there, but unfortunately this film gets off track far too often and never delivers much character depth.

One of the primary sources of derailment is a family of aliens that Yobi lives with. I think they are meant to be lighthearted, comedic relief characters and a bit of a plot crutch, but they are neither interesting nor funny. Numerous other side characters get a scene or two where we learn about them. However, in an 85 minute film they are never given a chance to grow, resulting in a sense that the filmmakers spread themselves too thin. The lack of depth and focus might not bother younger audiences, but those of us hoping for vibrant characters worthy of Miyazaki will be left wanting.

My final recommendation is--unless you are satisfied by nice visuals alone--don't be fooled by those invoking Miyazaki, because in this case the parallels are only skin-deep.

Yobi, The Five Tailed Fox has coming on GKIDS

[taylorteamfamily · 12 March 2024]

For those unaware, Yobi the Five Tailed Fox is a Korean animated film made by Sunwoo Entertainment. The movie revolves around Yobi, a shape-shifting fox with five tails, who lives in the forest with a group of ship-wrecked aliens. Yobi disguises herself as a human girl in order to get into a school where one of her alien friends had been captured. Staying at the school, Yobi becomes friends with one of the students, a boy named Geum-ee. She grows more and more attached to humans and enjoys her time with them, until a fox hunter appears, as well as a shadow who gives Yobi a device which will allow her to become human by taking the soul from a human. The film is very visually stunning and, in spite of a few narrative flaws, I highly recommend it to both anime fans and animation fans.

It's been over a decade since the film's release in its home country of Korea, and it has yet to receive any sort of English distribution. And I think I know the perfect company to distribute this film, and that is GKIDS. That company has brought us some very wonderfully made animated films from all over the world such as The Secret of Kells, Mary and the Witch's Flower, When Marnie Was There, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner, Mune: Guardian of the Moon, Ernest & Celestine, and many many more. And it would be wonderful for them to add Yobi to their collection, along with a high-quality English dub to boot. And again we're apologize for this Inconvenience.