The Untamed (2019)

Never seen a story like this one!

This has got to be one of my favorite CDramas that I have ever watched. I’ve never quite come across a story as captivating as this one! I didn’t read the summary before going in so I had no clue what it was about. It kept popping up on my recommended shows. The plot definitely did not follow the path of a typical CDrama. Although there were misunderstandings between the 2 MLs, they did not drag it out as we see with most CDramas. The story progression was amazing along with the progression of the characters. It was very well thought out as there wasn’t a ton of plot holes or unanswered questions.

Every actor perfectly fit the character that they were cast to play. Wei Wuxian/Wei Ying is definitely an unforgettable character. He is very relatable as being kind can sometimes make you the target of hatred. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced as many emotions as I have watching this one. I found myself crying, laughing, angry, etc.

The soundtrack was also amazing and really nice to hear the two MLs singing on the OST. Even though some of the visuals were bad and you can tell it was a low budget show with some of the props and visuals looking too cheap and fake, it did not take away from the show. This is definitely a show that I can rewatch multiple times and never get tired of it.

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An Academy Award deserving series!

This is the 4th Chinese drama that I’ve watched but it is by far the best. The professionalism and chemistry of all of the actors is hard to beat. Coming from the US, being a writer of fiction myself, I love the amazing character development. The directors and producers absolutely did a fantastic job with casting. I’m one of the few fans out there that do not view WYB and XZ or their characters as a couple though I understand that’s what the novel said. Instead, theirs is a brotherhood and bond rarely seen nowadays and brings memories of the 1940s and comrades in war (and I mean that for both the actors and their characters). The younger generations today aren’t used to this. I do wish there was better continuation within the series as many scenes were a bit out of whack. Thank you for a wonderful series Tencent that I can’t stop rewatching since mid-December! This series deserves an Oscar because it rivals many shows on TV from many countries especially here in the US. I can’t wait for Oath of Love, Legend of Fei, Doulou Continent, and every other production these young and talented young men will do. A million times thank you!

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“Who’s right and who’s wrong? Who’s black and who’s white?”

I think this iconic quote from the drama pretty much sums up the message that the story is trying to convey. This quote is applicable to pretty much every plot, story, and character. The drama discusses the line, or lack thereof, between what is considered good and what is considered evil.

After watching, rewatching, and watching others watch it, I’ve come to really appreciate the great attention to detail that the crew put in. There are so many little moments throughout the drama that are intertwined and connected, and many of them went unnoticed the first time I watched it. It was only after rewatch after rewatch did I notice these moments that added so much deeper meaning to the story. Speaking of detail, I also was impressed that there were no unexplained plot holes*. Some may disagree with me on this, but I think that even if something wasn’t explicitly explained, it was implicitly implied enough so that I could understand. This made the story flow really well. I am well aware that the drama does not fully follow the original plot, but I think they did a pretty good job adapting to some of the changes that they had to make because of censorship. I understood the story pretty well even without the background knowledge from the novel.

Another aspect of the story that I really appreciate is the stories of each character, and how the actors portrayed the characters. Each character had their own story that added significance to the plot or the message. There was no character that was shallow or dull. I salute the actors/actresses for putting their efforts into portraying their character convincingly and carefully.

Of course I cannot ignore the fact that the production quality was not top notch, but I find it easy to ignore the technical difficulties and focus on the story instead. After all, it seems like it is easier to have great production than to have a great story, from what I’ve seen of other dramas. It may seem like I'm overrating by giving straight 10's, but like I said there are flaws. It's just that the flaws are not enough to bring down the overall score.

I have to disagree with those that say the beginning few episodes are “boring” because those episodes were really critical in developing the relationship between not just the main leads but also the supporting characters. Most dramas that I’ve seen are like this in that there has to be some sort of introduction before the action can kick in, not to say that the beginning wasn’t full of action because it was.

This drama won’t be for everyone, especially those looking for a soft romantic drama to sit back and enjoy. I assure you this one is the complete opposite! There are many many sweet moments, but that’s not the point of the story. On the contrary, I think this one is full of action that forces you to sit on the edge of your seat in order to take in every single detail because most of them are essential to the plot. It will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions ranging from deeply sad (sad is an understatement to describe the wreck that this drama will make you) to fluffy and cute.

Finally, what I really learned from this drama is that there does not have to be any physical romantic scenes to “prove” there exists some bond between two people.

“I am satisfied for having one person in my life that truly knows me.”

*Edit: After rewatching and reading discussions, I realized that what I said above about no plotholes is actually wrong because there are some questions that do not get answered in the drama. However, since I understood the story just based off the drama (without help from novel or anime background) I would say there are no plotholes that are significant enough to affect the main plot.
**Edit for edit: I added the edit in case people define "plot hole" as anything significant or insignificant that may contribute to the plot, but like I said in my edit, there are no such holes that take away from the main plot. It's just that there are a few small questions that remain unanswered.

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First off, just some disclaimer:
1. These statements are mostly my point of view and opinions, so if you have any issues with mine then go find your own because I'm just here to spill my tea.
2. This review is from someone who has been there from the beginning of the novel when it was translated, seen the donghua (currently watching the second season and my heart uwu), listened to the audia drama, and read some of manhua (but didn't really continue, but that's another story for another day), so yes I will have a lot of opinions and things to say.
3. This review may have too much comments on random things like the clothing and ect.
4. I have not read any of the other reviews so I' sorry if my review may or may not be similar to the other viewers or yours.
5. This will be a long review so if you plan on reading then grab some tea or popcorn. *Probably the longest one you will read if you do read*

Story/Plot: 6 stars
To be honest, the plot here may be the lowest rating I gave out of all the adaptations of the original novel that I've seen (listed above). I liked that the plot took a different route, but there are some things about the plot that bothered me and that's why I gave it and 6.5/10 rating. At the beginning, I didn't like that the writing made WWX seem like he misses(?) WLJ. Not that is was wrong, it was awkward because the novel was different. Also, couldn't they have done something like changing his hair style or adding makeup to WWX instead of making him wear a mask? Like he's going to take off the mask anyways and still have the same face as WWX so why can't they add a little detail for us to differentiate that he's WWX in MXY's body? Besides, XZ is really handsome and it frustrated me then I couldn't see his face because of the mask and I bet LWJ felt the same way too. I just have to say that I was one of those fans that didn't like how they made it so that the Stygian Tiger Metal was not created by WWX and that WRH wanted to use it because to me that was a big part of what made WWX the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. The drama also made it seem like the leads weren't even that good at fighting. Here's the tea, the original story/plot from the novel is way better. I don't care how much the scriptwriters had to change to make it into a drama and pass censorship, but they could've done better.

Acting/Cast: 6 stars
Not gonna lie I was going to drop this drama at episode 3 to 6 because of the bad acting and editing (but we'll talk about that later). Literally, all the acting from episode 1 to like 6 was basically the actors just ACTING or reacting! A lot of their acting seems force, unnatural, and awkward. The actors such as XZ and WYB were the reasons I almost didn't start this drama because they're not originally actors and I had already imagined other actors playing WWX and LWJ's roles (will get into that later). And I don't think I was the only one. When I first heard of the casting I was like, "Isn't WYB too skinny?" Like I don't know why but I've always imagined LWJ as someone who is bigger than WWX as in like having a wider chest and bigger build. But it was also because of them that I continued to watch this drama because I wanted to give this drama another chance because everyone was telling me that I have to have a different mindset or think of this drama as a fanfic so I did. The acting did improve after episode 6 and episode 13 was when I really felt that chemistry I was waiting a million light years for. I really think if I hadn't seen like the first 6 episodes I would've given XZ a 8/10 for his portrayal of WWX, and WYB a 6/10 for his portrayal of LWJ. They're honestly the reason why my acting/cast rating is at an 6 stars because without them it would've been at like a 3/10. I really like when actors can act with their eyes and that's what I love from both WWX and LWJ actors! I love shi jie's acting after episode 6 because she just kept improving in acting and also in portraying Ah Li's character. I love it when she stood up for WWX because it shows how strong of a character she is. She gives off this really lovely vibe. I'm just gonna put it out there that she is way more mature than JC. There's a saying a few times that was like, "The past is the past." and that they shouldn't dwell on it anymore. Ah Li, WWX, and JZX were the people I think embraced this the most wonderfully and LWJ later. Jiang Cheng's acting was pretty consistent throughout and that is overly expressing himself such as his actions and facial expression which I thought was disappointing because it shows that he clearly lacks acting experience on screen, might be better for plays/musicals since audience is far away and has to be able to determine your expressing skills. What bothered me the most was that a lot of the actors are inexperienced so a scene that could've been executed perfectly had flaws as in it couldn't give me the full emotion that it was trying to deliver for example that scene of XY and XXC when they found out the truth and when JC's mother taught that bad woman a lesson. I felt like it could've been more. There are a lot of scenes that I did felt was extremely well done such as WWX and LWJ's scenes of course, some of the fighting scenes such as the ones with WYB and I am thankful that he's a dancer because those scenes looked so graceful and beautiful but some of those fighting scenes were bleh. Like when Shi Jie was dying like??? What are all those people doing in the background (actually that's a lot of what happens now that I look at it closely when there are fighting scenes in this drama)? And btw that scene made me cried a river in the other adaptations but this one I raged instead and cried a little after. I also cried a river when JC's parents died and held hands. That scene was beautiful besides the fact that they died. I died a little seeing that scene just like how I died a little seeing WWX letting go of WLJ's hand. I have so much more characters/actors to talk about but that's too long so I'll end with someone interesting. I don't know about you guys but Xue Yang literally gave me GAY vibes whenever I saw him on screen.

Music: 7.5 stars
I love all the songs, especially the song dedicated to Xue Yang by Zhou Shen. I love that the beginning ost had no singing because obviously this story can't be explain in words and that's beautiful. I love the fact that shi jie was given a song. Love WYB and XZ for singing the Wuji ending theme song. The reason why this rating is not a 10/10 is because it's a song I wouldn't listen to on a daily basis like the WangXian song from the donghua. So I took a point off for personal preference. But I took 1.5 point off because some/a lot parts in the drama random songs/ instruments just played and it ruined the mood sometimes. One time I forgot which episode but the Wuji song was played for a scene for someone else other than WangXian couple and I was confused for the whole day and decided to forget about it so I could move on.

Rewatch Value: 6 stars
I could see myself rewatching quite a few times as I did so with dramas like Guardian and also because I have rewatched the donghua many times, reread the novel, and listend to the audio book. But would this be the first one I go to if I was to see an adaptation of the novel? No. Overall, this was an okay/good drama and did exceed my expectations.

Now you can stop here is you don't want to see me rant about other stuff about the drama, but if you do stay I can't promise it'll be short. Below are the things I want to get off my chest and are related to my overall rating of this drama.

1. Oh my goodness who did the EDITING??? It's so bad. I should also question who did the camera work because why all those weird angles and unnecessary movements? You could tell the editor didn't know whether which color of brightness/saturation/concentration looks good on screen so in one scene the editor would keep changing the color tone and it annoyed me so much. And the camera work. It's so frustrating because the camera work is the definition of bad camera work. Like why can't you just keep some angles straight? It is because the two main leads aren't? *and when I realized that I was SHOOK, but no. Still don't like that idea of weird angles camera work* It's really bothersome that on close-up scenes that the actors forehead or chin or hairstyle is cut of. Like???? Why? I understand scenes that focus on the eyes and face but why part of the head?

2. Clothing. The clothing was so...idk. Weirdly styled and colored? All I can say is that LWJ had the best outfits. WWX's outfits aren't even second to LWJ, I would say Wen Qing's outfits were better than his. WWX is third in terms of his clothing. The rest is a bit of a mess although some of the characters did pull of theirs or had pretty average looking outfits but nothing in this drama was too fancy. Someone that for sure pulled of his clothing JGY because he's really pretty that kind of makes him look good in any clothing. The sect's clothing is very questionable. Why does the Jin sect look so poor with that mild yellow color on? Like I thought they were the sect with the most money and wore yellow and gold clothing. The Lan sect got it easy by getting white, but their clothing looks heavy. I wasn't a big fan of some of the Lan outfits having too much ugly blue color. Maybe sheer light blue would've been nice. I know the Wen sect is evil but why are so many of them wearing black? Call me a WWX stan (cuz I am) but WWX was the only one who looked good in wearing black throughout the whole drama. I honestly feel bad because I feel like the Nie Sect and (especially) the Jiang Sect got the most ugly colors. They were wearing all shades of purple and brown/gray outfits. It looks to me that shi jie and Jiang Cheng were being experimented on with a bunch of random colored outfits. I will also add that the hairstyles were very simple and I liked that at first but later it seemed as if everyone just had the same hair styles besides the main leads. The only thing that was different in their hair was the head piece for most of the cast.


3. Day/Night/Lighting
This the one where I had the most issue with. Because of this issue the whole drama just screams LOW BUDGET to me. If there's one thing a production should invest in besides the cast is lighting. I was always displeased with the lighting in this drama. It was always inconsistent and strange or weird to look at. For example, when shi jie was dying, when JC came flying to her side the lighting was a bit red because they were at the Wen's base but when she started talking to WWX the lighting in the background was dark/night time and when she was murder it was going back and forth from black background to red lighting background with people fighting in the back. The reason why lighting is so important because it describes the mood of the scene or gives the audience/viewer an idea of what time of day it is or a sense of reality. I also didn't like the fact that they were night hunting in the day. Like what??? I watch so many wuxia dramas before and hunting any sort monsters or yao has always been in the night. How could the drama production make such a mistake? At least change it to day hunting or something less questionable.

4. CGI/Props
The CGI and Props were the last thing I worried about some dramas can do without it or people sometimes forget about it and I did forget a lot of it. But there was one I could not forget and that is when Wen Chao and his crew were floating/flying in the sky in a triangle formation. That scene was so funny because the cgi was so bad. I swear these actors were placed in front of a green screen with fans blowing at them and then when it was getting edited the editor just replaced the green screen with a sky full of clouds background. The props were okay but you can totally tell a lot of them were fake or cheap like the swords. Real swords don't wobble and aren't that skinny. How do I know this? (That's a different story for a different day.) One cgi I was really looking forward to was when that wrench sent a firework signal to Wen Chao. It was not as great as the donghua. There was literally one firework shown and two from far away in a very big background which literally looked like a dot and just colors flashing on that wrench. I actually quite like the cgi when WWX was tormenting WC with a red ghost woman, but the real question is: Who Is That Ghost?

That's all I have to say. If you have made it this far you are a great person with good patience. I hope you have a nice day and thank you for reading this long review. ^-^

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let me preface this review by stating that i have not read the novel or engaged with any other forms of this story. i am rating+reviewing this drama on its own merits rather than on its quality as an adaptation. (this review is spoiler-free!)

instead of a plot summary, i will say that the untamed is a story that explores:

- personal morals vs. cultural morals
- the structure that rules—spoken or unspoken—uphold 
- what being loyal means
- the pros and cons of selflessness
- when the norms of society must be questioned
- the complex, morally grey nature of revenge
- groupthink and its consequences
- when violence is(n’t) justifiable

all of these concepts (and more!) are but branches stemming off from the narrative’s thematic core: what is good, what is evil? what makes the untamed special is how it handles that question; although the theme is extremely familiar, it is executed in a fresh, unique way. it doesn’t feel like an examination of morality you’ve seen hundreds of times over already in fiction. it is rare to find media that approaches such a common theme from a new angle.

the mischievous, unorthodox wei wuxian and the scrupulous, rule-abiding lan zhan are our protagonists, and the relationship that grows between them is the heart of the drama. their development is just gorgeous. the love and trust the two have for each other is staggering. you can feel the incredible intimacy between them; sometimes i feel i should look away from the expressions they share with each other, because it’s not for me to see, it’s for them.

it too cannot be emphasized enough that as individual characters, both wei wuxian and lan zhan are intricate, amazing, and fascinating in their own right. i don’t want to say too much, as their arcs are best to discover and experience on one’s own, but it’s been a good long while since i’ve met characters i love as deeply as i do these two. their motivations, mistakes, development, and flaws all make sense, and their stories are satisfying to the very end. 

the supporting characters are also wonderful, and the time the narrative spends with them is not time wasted. jiang cheng is frustrating and fascinating; wen qing is intriguing and heartbreaking; jiang yanli is steadfast and loveable; xue yang is over the top and extremely fun; i could go on and on. the entire array of characters is worthy of praise. 

on that note, the acting is superb; both of the main actors fully inhabit their characters. xiao zhan is a powerhouse. he is an incredibly dynamic actor, and he portrays the richly layered wei wuxian with care and dedication. he has great control of his face, and is able to convey a wide array of emotions with nuance and delicacy. xiao zhan makes you truly feel what wei wuxian is feeling. 

and then there is wang yibo’s lan zhan. lan zhan’s stoicism and way of internally processing emotion demand that the actor utilize subtlety to the utmost degree. with just his eyes (just his eyes! i can’t get over it!) wang yibo is able to reveal the sheer breadth and depth of the character’s feelings and internal workings. he speaks a thousand words with one look. it’s such a stellar performance—he’s a treat to watch. 

beyond the protagonists, the entire cast does a magnificent job. while watching, you lose yourself in their performances; they succeed in making the characters seem not like characters, but like people. the antagonists too all obviously had a good time playing their roles; there are some performances that can come off as a bit too much, but as long as you lean into that particular brand of cheesiness, it all works. (there are certainly some smaller roles where the acting is pretty eh, but frankly? it’s easily overlooked.)

the production is not something i really want to linger on here, but to touch on it for a moment: the cinematography is usually pretty adequate; rarely, there are shots that are truly stunning in their inspiration and symbolism. the costuming is lush and lovely, and most of the outfits communicate symbolism through color and patterning. and the music! it is such a beautiful and transportive score, and there are some really great moments of diegetic instrumentals. while some pieces of the score are used often, none are overused to the point of annoyance.

but to get to the point here: the important thing i want to say in this review is that the untamed is not quite like anything else i have watched. i didn’t expect this at all going in; i was just looking for something to pass the time. instead, this drama evoked emotions in me that no other piece of media has, and it has carved its way into my heart. i am in awe of this story, and i am going to be thinking about it for a long, long time.

i rarely, rarely give a perfect rating to anything. but the untamed deserves every 10/10 it receives; it’s on a whole different level to anything else. it has something special. i cannot recommend it enough… everyone should get to experience this story. it is absolutely incredible. 

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This is hands down my favorite Chinese drama, and possibly my favorite drama of all time as of now. I have heard many things about Mo Dao Zu Shi before the drama even aired. I've ran across trailers and clips of the animation, and I have heard about both the novel and Manhua, but I never actually ended up watching it. I only saw a few trailers, but I never had the time to pick it up until now. The live action version is the first adaptation that I picked up, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. This is probably the best decision of my life, deciding to watch this drama this summer.

As a fan of BL dramas, I was a bit disappointed that they had to take out a lot of romantic and skinship scenes from the original novel between Lan Zhan and Wei Ying, but I decided to give this drama a go anyways. This drama is PHENOMENAL even without all the BL scenes that I originally was watching this far. On top of depicting the beautiful love and connection between Lan Zhan and Wei Ying, this drama teaches very valuable life lessons. We see themes of betrayal, love, hatred, forgiveness, and regret all throughout this story, and it really touches your heart deeply seeing how so many characters are actually misunderstood and sometimes, there was nothing that they could do to change how others view them and how to make the situation that they're in better. Wei Ying is an extraordinary character who radiates love and forgiveness even after everything that happens to him. He lost so much in his life, but he never lost his love that he has for other people. Even when the world was against him, he stood for what he believed was right, willing to accept any hatred and false accusations against him.

Lan Zhan was also such an amazing character, the total opposite of Wei Ying personality wise, but he was just as righteous and as willing to fight for justice as Wei Ying. The relationship between the two is just out of the world. Even though the censorship didn't allow for romance to be explictly shown between the two, it was just so obvious that they loved one another, especially through their facial expressions and actions towards one another. Actions speak more than words <3 Having a person like Lan Zhan in Wei Ying's life made me so emotional and happy especially after everything that Wei Ying went through: Lan Zhan stuck by his side from the beginning and never betrayed him or swayed to other people's side. Oh how I wish people like Lan Zhan exist more in today's society XD

The OSTs are perfect. I listen to them on repeat! It's been around a week that I've seen this now, and I am still obsessed! I've rewatched this drama at least 4 times now! I've also read the novel twice! Read the audio drama as well <3 This story is just too beautiful to NOT rewatch several adaptations of!

Xiao Zhan is literally the PERFECT person to play Wei Ying. He definitely did justice to this character! Wang Yibo was really good as Lan Zhan as well. The casting this time is amazing! I could not imagine anyone else playing the leads. Plus, their chemistry on and off screen is off the charts <3

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“I don’t care about anybody’s open road, my only choice is a log bridge to devil.”

(I will judge this BASED ON THE DRAMA ITSELF and yes I’ve seen all adaptations (novel, donghua, manhua, audio drama, right now watching the chibi version and waiting for a game to be released soon.))

I never thought that a wuxia drama can impact me in the best way possible. It’s no doubt that The Untamed truly made my 2020 year better after all the crappy situation going on this year with the rise of the pandemic and more terrible things shown on the news that makes me wonder if the world is really gonna end. 8 months later, I’m still not over this show and probably will never be. I’m still on a post drama depression with this show and I still haven’t found a cure to it. Gosh, what have this show done to me? Yes, I sound like a maniac but it’s the truth and I have to accept it. I live and breathe The Untamed.

Objectively speaking, the drama isn’t perfect. There are a few bits of minor mistakes here and there and it isn’t the best in terms of the technical aspects such as the bad CGI and bad practical effects as the drama is low budget which makes no sense to me. This show is based on a very popular BL novel, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation or 魔道祖师 (Mó Dào Zǔ Shī) in Mandarin like why can’t the show have more budget? Also, there are some questionable acting for some of the characters portrayed there, maybe one or two but hey, the characters there are not easy to play and are very complex. The fact that most, if not all the actors are rookies there, for me it’s a job well done! That's why I'm giving the acting a 10. I'm biased. But at the same time, I feel like those minor issues and mistakes add the charm to show and made me love it even more.

Now, for the good part. The story itself may be simple but it’s intriguing and effective. I don’t need a complex story just to blow me away. Sometimes, a good simple story with amazing and complex characters can really shine their way through. It’s rare for me to fully be immersed and emotionally attached to characters like this but here I am trapped. Save me please. I love how the characters there has a story themselves, including villains! I love how there’s no perfect character in the show, each character has their flaws and not everyone has a happy ending. Yes, it’s unfortunate but that’s what makes it so good. It makes them more human and relatable. The real world works like that with the cruelty and the hypocrisy of humans. It’s indeed a beautiful lesson in humanity.

Let’s jump straight into the characters. I’ll only speak on the 2 leads. I wish I can elaborate on this more but it’ll probably take up more than 2 pages. I’ll start with the lead protagonist who’s also my knight in shining armour, Wei Wuxian/Wei Ying/Yiling Patriarch. He is the most fascinating, relatable and cutest little bean. I love how he’s such a complex character yet stays true to himself. He can go from the cutest pie ever to the hot and sexy Yiling Patriarch in one snap. He’s not the typical idealistic man who’s doing things for the greater good, yet he’s doing it because he understands the whole justice and how the world works like. He does what he thinks it’s right and he fights for it. He’s admirable and he’s one of a kind. I love him to bits and I’ll never shut up about him. Falling in love at first sight with him has become one of the best decisions I made in life.

Next, Lan Wangji/Lan Zhan who's also known as Hanguang Jun which means Light Bearing Lord. A lot of people tend to overlook him as a supporting character or love interest as his POV is more on the quieter side when there's a whole character arc that he goes through as well throughout this whole story. He has to completely shift how he sees the world. His subtle actions and words speak volumes in those quiet moments. It shows in the rain scene. Seeing how he grow up from a teenager to a young adult is truly outstanding. The best part is when he questions his uncle, what's right and what's wrong, what's black and what's white. Those questions of right and wrong, black and white, good and evil, become part of the theme song in this drama. In the end, Lan Wangji learns that being true to yourself, following your heart and principle are more important than following the crowd.

I fell hard on Wangxian’s relationship in the drama. I never know how much I crave for this kind of romance, just loyalty, trust, longing, commitment, respect. Just so many words to describe it. I LOVE relationships whereby they don’t make the other weaker and where both are very gifted and talented, but together they can do anything. I love this concept of "love" so much because love is supposed to make you stronger. Where you can see that they can survive well without the other, yet you can't imagine them being apart. It’s honestly so haunting and difficult to get over these types of couples. It’s amazing how their relationship impacted me so much. They are soulmates and made for each other. I felt so single after watching it and I truly hope that my future relationship (If I’m ever getting into one LMAO) can be as beautiful, magical yet also cheesy and romantic as them.

All in all, the show probably made my life 10 times better and the soundtrack and theme songs are amazing and just beautiful to listen. Each character has its own song so do it give a listen. Don’t miss out on the good stuff. It’s pleasing to your ears. Do I recommend the show? Hell yes. It’s a must watch for those new to Chinese Dramas! But of course, what you think about the show is in your hands so don’t expect your experience to be like mine. I lost my sleep on this and I wish I can erase my memories and watch it like the first time again and go through that roller coaster ride again. I'll end my review with a favourite quote I read from the novel itself.

"Let the self judge the right and the wrongs, let others decide to praise or to blame and let the losses and gains remain uncommented on." - Wei Wuxian

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I was curious about why this drama has such a high rating and decided to watch it completely. For someone who love xianxia/wuxia themed series and has been watching hundreds of dramas, I will say this drama is okay to watch. It's pretty enjoyable at certain points but tbh it doesn't live up to the super high rating. I will say if you are a big fan of BL then you will definitely want to check it out and most probably will love it. But personally, I like TMOPB and nirvana in fire much more than this. I think the high rating come from the big original BL novel loyal fans and the fans of the pop idol boys turn main lead. I do really like the theme of complexity in evil and good in the series and the actors are pretty dazzling. The annoying part was just some really slow-paced fillers, bad CGI n cinematography and some plot holes. I did think of reading the novel, since this series does spark my interest a little into BL hahaha. But as far as wuxia novel goes, I already have a top fave (I Shall Seal The Heaven), so I think it will be hard to read another wuxia novel that has a storyline that can come up to par with it.

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After I watched The Untamed twice, I watched the donghua and read the novel to get a better grasp of the original story. I understand why some fans may be upset with certain aspects of the drama, but I neither have qualms nor do I compare the medias. After my third rewatch, I decided to write about the drama. 

I enjoyed everything, but above all else, I loved and adored the characters. Therefore, this review is more like an appreciative post of my favorites. They are the reason The Untamed is so special and compelling, making it so deserving of its success. We laugh, cry, and learn with these characters as we follow along their journey.

Wei Ying/Wei Wuxian:
WY is the star and highlight during the past for me. People may say he is your typical hero with a savior complex. While this is true, it is not entirely. 

WY is guided by one thing and one thing only. During the lantern scene in episode 7, he says, "I wish that I can eliminate evil and protect the weak, always maintaining a clear conscience." Call it a wish, a promise, or a principle. Regardless of the label, it stands against the test of time, residing deeply in WY’s heart. It does not sway under the influence of trivial matters, such as, reputation, politics, or rules. WY is unrestrained in following his heart. He truly embodies “the end justifies the means”, taking it as far as cultivating an unorthodox path and standing against the majority. His dedication and selflessness moves you in ways that make it impossible not to love and cheer for him.

Lan Zhan/Lan Wangji:
LZ is the star and highlight during the present time. People may say he is your typical hero with a cold heart that melts gradually due to his soulmate. While this is true, it is…

LZ lives and breathes Gusu Lan Sect's thousands of rules. He is restrained and stubborn in his ways, not allowing anything or anyone phase him. Or so he thought. Although LZ is the opposite of WY in almost everything, they happen to share the same heart, vowing the same wish. To him, protecting WY is equivalent to keeping that wish alive.

The character development LZ undergoes is nothing new, but the way it is done is simultaneously beautiful, heartwarming, and heart-wrenching. His beliefs, basically his life, is challenged when WY strays from the righteous path that LZ has always known. He questions himself and the ideology he has upheld since young. Does he trust what has been hammered into his brain? Or does he trust the heart of WY he has witnessed? This hesitation makes your heart ache for him as he begins to realize the lines drawn between what is right and wrong and what is black and white may not be so defined after all. 

The lines are blurred. The world is, in fact, gray. When WY returns, the fire in LZ burns brighter than ever as he protects WY (in essence, their vow) with a renewed sense of justice and passion. The change in him is a wondrous sight that makes you swoon and wish for a LZ in real life.

Jiang Cheng/Jiang Wanyin:
JC is a misunderstood character. You either like him or hate him. JC’s pride lies in himself and his sect. Because of his noble status as a successor, he is unable to live freely like WY. JC has to care and mind what others say or think. He has a reputation to uphold because his existence reflects Yunmeng Jiang Sect. This burden, his guide, makes him selfish as his behavior is motivated by whether or not something benefits him and/or his sect. At the end of the day, when everyone left him, didn’t he just want WY by his side? He is probably the most realistic character beside from his sister, so I kinda laugh when people despise him. He is human, therefore, he displays anger, grief, and jealousy like we all have at some point in our lives.

Jiang Yanli/ Shijie:

SJ is both a sister and mother to JC and WY, understanding and believing in who they truly are. She is seemingly your typical female character, weak and timid, only capable of cooking lotus root and pork rib soup for her loved ones. Until you mess with her younger brothers… The courage and bravery she showed in episode 25 had me in awe of her strength to overcome her preference to blend into the background and not stand out or up to anyone. Emotions well up inside my chest whenever I hear SJ’s song, Yi Nan Ping, and its instrumental. SJ is too good for us. We are not worthy, and do not deserve her.

Wen Ning/Ghost General:
Our dear cinnamon roll… Loyalty at its finest. WN was just a shy boy, subject to ridicule. Even his sister kept his existence low-key, a way to keep him safe. Then WY walks into WN’s life, and everything changes. His persona of the Ghost General scares everyone out of their wits. I felt sad he was used as a weapon, and committed acts that he would never dream of in his original state. I was in greater agony when he accepted all the hatred and blame as a consequence. He did not fight back. He did not argue that he was not at fault. He simply took responsibility for his actions. And that, to me, is admirable. 



The younger generation:

The youngins do not get enough credit. Mainly, I am referring to Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, and Ouyang Zizhen. For the most part, they act as comedic relief. They are snarky in their remarks and extra in their behavior. I enjoyed the display of stark contrast between them and the older generation. The kids undoubtedly heard stories and rumors about the big bad wolf, Wei Wuxian, but it is plainly obvious they took it with a grain of salt. After “Mo Xuanyu” is revealed to be WY, instead of being scared, they trust in the kindness WY has shown them. They are not quick to act solely based on what they have heard, and they do not jump aboard the revenge train just because everyone else is targeting a particular person. What a wonderful indication of how the future is in better hands than it was during WY’s time. 



Of course, there were plenty of other supporting characters who were awesome in their own right, but these were my favorites. 



“The green mountain won’t change; the flowing water is endless. I’m sure we’ll meet again someday!”

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The Untamed, caught my attention after I saw that he had passed the evaluation of Signal and My Mister and became the top 1 of the CDM. Even though I wasn't the type of person to see something just for that reason, I was curious to know why this work was being so acclaimed and so well ranked as to overcome excellent doramas, well, most people cited the BL couple, I was afraid to see the work just for that reason, hardly anyone cited a solid reason to see the drama, but regardless I went to check for myself that the reason for the exaltation was not just because of the BL couple.

The idea the ​​drama is excellent, although it is common in Chinese works, if in Japan shounens are common, in China cultivation works are even more common, particularly I am not a fan of Chinese works and this was my first series, anime I had already seen some, but very few related to cultivation, so even though it was something "cliché" for me, it was relatively new, so I found the idea of ​​the drama excellent, remember, the idea, the execution not so much and this is what weighs in my assessment of it. The drama is extremely detailed, very much, which makes it very tiring several times.

We can say that the drama has two Sagas throughout its 50 episodes, which is the Saga of the past, as the name itself says and the arc of the present, 16 years after the death / disappearance of the protagonist, where he reincarnates, but between these 2 sagas have several small arches, we have the beginning that begins with the protagonist reincarnating and soon after showing his past with the characters, their interactions and bonds, I understand that the first arc that takes place in Recanto da Nuvens, is necessary for presentation of the characters, but it is too long and many things there are unnecessary, if the drama were more compressed and more summarized at certain times, it would really be a 10 with praise, but it takes too long to arrest the viewer who does not know the work. The Untamed, has a fantastic world, but it doesn’t masterfully work with him, something that disappointed me was the quotes to the Buried Mountain, where no man would be able to live and Wei lives there for 3 months and is just played in the work like any other Anyway, there are other points, such as the delay of sects turning against the Wen sect, among other things, but I will not go on too long here.

Most characters only make numbers, we do not know their beliefs or philosophies of life, there are few that the viewer will identify and that will be explored in the work, as is the case with Wei himself, which even I do not like his side playful, I don't deny being an excellent character, but the one who really stole my heart was the diva of Wen Qung, a strong character, who acted in the right way and her relationship with her brother was very beautiful to see, always putting him above her and for Sometimes I wanted him with Wei, when they were in the Buried Mountain, I was very sad for the end of it and there was no tribute, another character that I cannot forget to exalt despite his little screen time and his first appearance not being of the best and the mother Jiang Cheng, where when the Lotus Pier was attacked she did not surrender and fought for her sect despite its tragic end and of course no one else, none other than Lan WangJi, however what What most caught my attention in this character, was the fact that he was the opposite of Wei, while one was playful, the other was serious, while one was dressed in black, the other was dressed in white, so this contrast and analogy between both characters was very good.

As well as I mentioned above my sadness for the execution of the series, for the slowness and the lack of intelligence of the characters in being quick in the decisions, even more so for a fan of the "Art of War" to have seen some moments and situations in the battles it was hard for my eyes, just wanted to highlight this one more time.

The villains of the series, the first of them, would almost be my style of villain, and the classic villain who does his mischief by power and destruction, but lacked in the leader of the sect Wen, who is more ahead of the battles and has been more explored, in the The end was just a shallow villain with an even more pathetic death. Already the second villain and the type who hides behind other people and only lives smiling at everyone, who incriminates another person for his actions, who is good at speech and knows how to corner you only in the psychological and the type of villain that even if you are caught by an oversight will deny until death, Jin GuangYao, was a better worked and more detailed motivated villain, the son of a prostitute, was hated by his father, who mistreated him and was not respected by other cultivators, so that it was the trigger for his monstrosities and at the same time a motivation for his steps up the series, reaching the highest rank of a cultivator.

Anyway, despite some complaints, the series is good in general, my biggest compliments go to its setting, scenarios and photography, which were very rich in details and incredibly beautiful, it was the best drama I saw in that aspect. The costumes of the characters too it was spectacular and the osts were excellent, always matching the rhythm of the drama, when it was a lively moment, a lively song, a more tense moment, a more tense song, everything fit perfectly and the harmony was sublime.


*Tradução*

The Untamed, me chamou atenção depois que eu vi que ele tinha ultrapassado a avaliação de Signal e My Mister e se tornado o top 1 do MDL. Mesmo não sendo o tipo de pessoa que ver algo apenas por esse motivo, eu tive curiosidade em saber o porquê essa obra estava sendo tão aclamada e tão bem ranqueada a ponto de superar excelentes dramas, pois bem, a maioria das pessoas citavam o casal BL do drama, eu tive receio em ver a obra apenas por esse motivo, dificilmente alguém citava um motivo sólido pra vê o drama, mas independente disso eu fui conferir por mim que o motivo da exaltação não era apenas por causa do casal BL.

A idéia do drama é excelente, apesar disso ser comum em obra chinesas, se no Japão os shounens são comuns, na China obras de cultivação, são mais comuns ainda, particularmente não sou um fã de obras chinesas e essa foi minha primeira série, anime eu já tinha visto alguns, porém bem poucos relacionados a cultivos, então mesmo sendo algo "clichê" pra mim era relativamente novo, por isso q eu achei a ideia do drama excelente, lembre-se, a idéia, já a execução nem tanto e é isso que pesa na minha avaliação sobre o mesmo. O drama é extremamente detalhado, muito mesmo, o que deixar muito cansativo por várias vezes.

Podemos dizer que o drama tem duas Sagas ao longo dos seus 50 episódios, que e a Saga do passado, como o próprio nome já diz e o arco do presente, 16 anos depois da morte/desaparecimento do protagonista, onde ele reencarna, mas entre essas 2 sagas tem várias pequenos arcos, temos o início que começa com o protagonista reencarnando e logo depois mostrando o passado dele com os personagens, suas interações e vínculos, eu entendo que o primeiro arco que se passa no Recanto da Nuvens, e necessário pra apresentação dos personagens, mas ele é muito longo e muitas coisa ali são desnecessárias, se o drama fosse mais compactado e mais resumindo em determinados momentos, seria realmente um 10 com louvor, mas ele demorar demais a prender o telespectador que não conhece a obra. The Untamed, tem um mundo fantástico, porém não trabalha com maestria ele, algo que me decepcionou foi as citações para com a Montanha Sepultada, onde nenhum homem conseguiria viver e o Wei vive lá por 3 meses e simplesmente só é jogado na obra como qualquer coisa, enfim...tem outros pontos, como a demorar das seitas se voltarem contra a seita Wen, entre outras coisas, mas não vou me alongar muito aqui não.

Os personagens em sua maioria só fazem números, não sabemos suas convicções ou filosofias de vida, são poucos os que o telespectador vai se indentificar e que serão explorados na obra, como e o caso do próprio Wei, que mesmo que eu não gostando do seu lado brincalhão, não nego que é um excelente personagem, mas quem realmente roubou meu coração foi a diva da Wen Qung, uma personagem forte, que agia da forma correta e sua relação com seu irmão foi muito bonita de vê, sempre o colocando acima dela e por vezes eu queria ele com o Wei, quando eles estavam na Montanha Sepultada, fiquei muito triste pelo final dela e não teve nenhuma homenagem, outra personagem que não posso esquecer de exaltar apesar do seu pouco tempo de tela e da sua primeira aparição não ter sido das melhores e a mãe Jiang Cheng, onde quando a Píer de Lótus foi atacada ela não se rendeu e lutou pelo sua seita mesmo com seu fim trágico. E claro ninguém mais, ninguém mesmo que o Lan WangJi, porém o mais me chamou a atenção nesse personagem, era o fato dele ser o oposto do Wei, enquanto um era brincalhão, o outra era sério, enquanto um se vestia de preto e outro se vestia de branco, então esse contraste e analogia entre ambos personagens foi muito bom.

Bem como já citei mais acima minha tristeza pela execução da série, pela lentidão e pela falta de inteligência dos personagens em serem rápidos nas decisões, ainda mais para um fã da "Arte da Guerra" ter visto alguns momentos e situações nas batalhas foi duro para os meus olhos, só queria destacar isso mais uma vez.

Os vilões da série, o primeiro deles, quase seria meu estilo de vilão, e o clássico vilão que faz suas maldades por poder e destruição, porém faltou no líder da seita Wen, esta mais a frente das batalhas e ter sido mais explorado, no fim não passou de um vilão raso com uma morte mais patética ainda. Já o segundo vilão e o tipo que se esconde atrás de outras pessoas e só vive sorrindo para todos, que incriminar outra pessoa pelos seus atos, que é bom de lábia e sabe te encurralar só no psicológico e o tipo de vilão que mesmo se for pego por um descuido vai negar até a morte, Jin GuangYao, foi um vilão mais bem trabalhado e com uma motivação mais detalhada, filho de uma prostituta, era odiado pelo seu pai, que o maltratava e não era respeitado pelos demais cultivadores, então isso foi o gatilho pra suas monstruosidades e ao mesmo tempo uma motivação para sua subida de degraus na série, chegando ao posto mais alto de um cultivador.

Enfim, apesar de algumas reclamações, a série é boa no geral, meus maiores elogios vão pra sua ambientação, cenários e fotografia, que eram riquíssimos em detalhes e incrivelmente belos, foi o melhor drama que eu vi nesse aspecto, o figurino dos personagens também foi espetacular e as osts, excelentes, sempre combinando com o ritmo do drama, quando era um momento animado, uma música animada, um momento mais tenso, uma música mais tensa, tudo se encaixava perfeitamente e a harmonia era sublime.

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Worth the hype, but not a masterpiece

Every once in a while you encounter a show that is riddled with issues, but has a core that is so strong that it keeps the whole thing afloat. In the case of The Untamed that core is of course the two leads, Wei Ying (Sean Xiao) and Lan Wan Ji (Wang Yi Bo). These two characters are the heart and soul of the drama and the reason for its incredible popularity. They are compelling as these opposites attract, intensely moral people who endure tragedy and grief together, and their connection is immediately palpable on screen. Both actors do a great job of showing the journey these characters go on over the course of the show, and the layers they inhabit. They nail the comic and tragic moments beautifully.

The rest of the cast varies dramatically in acting ability. Paul Yu is solid as Wei Ying's friend and bodyguard Wen Ying, while Marius Wang struggles to give three dimensionality and depth to Jiang Chen, Wei Ying's adopted brother and a pivotal character in the show. This doesn't necessarily detract hugely from the drama as a whole, but it does mean that there are scenes in the drama that don't really resonate with me, are boring, or where the emotional intensity and complexity just doesn't come across they way it should.

Another issue with the show is its plot. The Untamed basically follows the life and growth of Wei Ying from young disciple to the infamous Yiling Patriarch, and although that works from a character standpoint (I care about Wei Ying and want to follow his journey) it can make the plot feel all over the place. There is no single, solid villain in the show, which I think weakens the second half substantially. There are some themes introduced about the danger of a herd mentality in regards to the cultivators turning on Wei Ying, but it isn't properly developed as it should have been. I understand that probably a lot of this is to do with existing issues in the source material, but it could have been reworked in the adaptation. Additionally, the plot is not chronological, which I think actual takes away from the impact of Wei Ying's downfall and makes the show feel even more disjointed.

My final big issues with the show are problems that I have with a lot of Chinese fantasy dramas: the magic and creatures look cheap, the villains are laughably uninteresting and not even slightly intimidating, and the action is dull and void of impact. I understand that the budget of the Untamed was low, so I can excuse the poor CGI, but when it comes to compelling villains and action sequences they have no excuses. Weak writing means they lean too heavily on effects and costume design to try demonstrate that THIS guy is EVIL, when really they should just write a good character. When was the last time I was scared or invested in a villain in a Chinese fantasy series? I feel like they depend too heavily on their villains being archetypes of evil (he's a demon! Evil spirit!) rather than actually having any kind of depth. As for the action, I'm not asking for it to be bloody and visceral. I understand and appreciate an action style that is more elegant than that, and I actually like that their magic means they do less stabbing and decapitating, etc. BUT. The problem is that the action as a whole has no weight or impact. There are no stakes established by the writing/directing, there is no intentionality from the camera, and no believability from the actors. As a result, I can't take the big battles or anything else seriously at all. I don't feel invested in any of it whatsoever. During big tragic scenes, or supposedly stressful and intense battle sequences I feel this deep boredom instead.

This was adapted from a web novel in which the relationship between Wei Ying and Lan Wan Ji is explicitly romantic, but in the show this was censored. There are no kiss scenes, no overt romantic declarations (technically) and they are never officially considered by the show as being more than 'very good friends'. This was off-putting to me before I actually watched the show because I thought it wouldn't be enjoyable. I was wrong. Although the censorship itself is gross for homophobia reasons, I actually think the writers and director did a great job of making it clear that this IS a love story. The intensity of Wei Ying and Lan Wan Ji's relationship is still there, as well as their position in each other's lives. They are each other's most important person, and other characters see them as such. They protect and defend each other, fight for each other, care for each other when they're sick or wounded, and are all around soulmates. I think the drama manages to convey this in a profound and beautiful way, despite the censorship.

On the whole I would recommend this show to people who love romance, fantasy, and don't mind if it's rough around the edges. If you're looking for great acting across the board, or a tight plot, or a good villain, look elsewhere.

Greatest Weakness: Lack of a solid villain and satisfying plot structure
Greatest Strength: The two leads

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