Yobi, The Five Tailed Fox centers on a kumiho, a nine-tailed fox from Korean folklore that can shapeshift, often taking human form. In traditional tales, kumihos are depicted as magical beings that assume female guise to seduce and devour humans. But here, the protagonist is a young, gentle fox with only five tails instead of nine.
After losing her family to fox hunters, the five-tailed Yobi dwells in the forest with some stranded aliens, keeping far from humans. When one of her alien companions is captured by a villager, Yobi must venture into the human world to rescue him. In the village, she encounters various humans, including Geum Yee, who attends a school for troubled children. Drawn to Geum Yee, Yobi joins the students and delights in the joys of human life, yet both a fox hunter and a mysterious shadow figure are pursuing her.