The Untamed (2019)

THE Chinese inspired BL series that opened the genre for thoses that followed.

This review of The Untamed is quite late, since it's been a while since I saw it and rewatched it, but I wanted to do a review for the simple reason that this series has still - to this date - never been surpassed.

So, I must say that the first scene is quite striking and sets the pace of the series.
We discover a battlefield, soldiers who fight among themselves to obtain an object with an evil aura which passes from hand to hand.
And then, in the midst of this chaos, a young man, Wei Wuxian - dressed completely in black - who stands with his back to the edge of a cliff, his face filled with pain and abandonment, who sheds a tear as he faces to the battlefield but also to another young man, Lan Wangji - dressed completely in white - who faces him with a face twisted with fear and despair.
Inevitably, as the tone of the scene announces, Wei Wuxian jumps off the cliff but Lan Wangji manages to catch up with him in extremis, the emotions that the two characters have at this moment is terrible, one accepts death as the only way out - according to him - but the other fiercely refuses to let that happen.
Unfortunately, Jiang Cheng quickly ends the terrible scene by piercing - it would seem - with his sword Wei Wuxian who falls into the void.
We understand that he dies.

This is when the audience may seem perplexed.
What is happening ? Who is who ? Why do the characters act like this ? How did they get there ?

Then without warning, we find ourselves 16 years later, so I RECOMMEND everyone to see at least the first two or three episodes. Quite simply because the first two episodes show us Wei Wuxian, who wakes up 16 years later after the heartbreaking scene of his death, just as confused as the audience at why he came back from the dead. And we discover the world - or rather he rediscovers the world - that he had left years before and which continued without him.
After the first two episodes in present time, we go back 16 years earlier, where it all started, with the characters having different relationships, that of clan politics, and then also their personalities which are less harsh and intense than that of the future.
We find out how Wei Wuxian got his nickname "Yiling Laozu" (Patriarch of Yiling), why he is reviled by everyone and more.

To talk about the production and the script, I must say that in terms of production, they did very well when they had very little.
The costumes of each clan and of our two protagonists are very beautiful, especially I appreciate that their style evolves while they themselves change and grow.
The sets, like that of the Jiang clan who reside at "Lotus of Yungmeng" is magnificent, a beauty, the colors, the spaces, the objects, the decorations and above all the location - on stilts.
There are many sets like this, in the mountains and forests, but also those in cities where the shopping streets are full of liveliness and color.
On the other hand, some sets, like that of the Wen clan are passable, we can see that the production tried to give the maximum to create a great universe and an impression of grandiosity, but it was obvious that the ground for example, which was supposed to be black volcanic rock is just a set.
The special effects are also different, when it comes to personal powers like Wei Wuxian's demonic cultivation or Lan Wangjii's pure energy cultivation, are very well done, the CGI is really good. But when it comes to monsters, it's a different story, you can tell it's built very cheaply and the CGI is the poor one.
As for the script, from what I understand it's very similar to the novel and it respects the work of the author - as much as the censorship allows. The characters have all been written to show that they have several layers, and not only the main ones but also the secondary ones which often shine.
The plot is really interesting and we enter quickly - after the first two episodes for some - in the story. Unlike other Chinese BL-inspired series that shine only because of their characters or the overall story, here the series - the only one so far - manages to shine thanks to both.
Of course, there are plot holes, some things they haven't explained, but overall it's really mysterious and addictive. We have the mystery of the first scene (death one), then what happens 16 years later and then we find out what happened before - and other mysteries - and how it affects everything when we go back again 16 years later. The questions and the investigation keep us in suspense, the "villains" follow one another and meet, sometimes they are linked or even used among themselves for their objectives.

For the characters, I'm not going to lie, as I said earlier, all are well embodied even the bad guys with whom for some we even end up feeling empathy.
Wei Wuxian for starters, I must say that Xiao Zhan did a phenomenal job, his performance is really versatile and shows that this actor can play all kinds of roles. His character is deep, he's mischivious but also serious - when he needs to be, he's cunning, playful, charming, intelligent, teasing, lovable and then gradually his character evolves and changes over the trials he undergoes and - of an event - which changes him deep within him into a darker version of himself, I'll let you discover it.
Lan Wangji, played by Wang Yibo, shows a rather strict and withdrawn face from the start, he is someone who obeys the rules and has a strong sense of justice and order, but despite his cold appearance, he displays rare emotions - at the beginning - which show that it is only a facade, and that he is sensitive. His character also undergoes many changes throughout the series, especially after Wei Wuxian's death, which plagues him with guilt and regret, which explains his display of many feelings after Wei Wuxian's return from the dead - mostly due to the fact that he hadn't been able to confess.

This review is already long so I won't mention all the characters but some really shine.

The relationship between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji is really the highlight of the series, it transports us to different feelings, we see the friendship that begins and then turns into love - even if because of the censorship we cannot say it, and not only do they evolve individually but also together to find a rhythm that reflects the theme of Ying and Yang very well (hence their white and black clothing), as they end up literally moving as one, each protecting and caring for the other one, supporting and understanding each other without the need for words, the evolution and chemistry is just off the charts. It's not forced, it's really slow and smooth, very realistic.

It's really a great series, the first which introduced me to the world of Chinese BL and which has since held its title high because it still not can be surpassed - we will see the productions of 2022 - and therefore I have it recommend not only for fans of BL, who show that you don't need to have sex scenes for characters to show the extent of their love, but also for those who like the wuxia and action genre, with manipulations and twists throughout the series, until the last minute, suspense and mysteries (detective too) and a lot of action. Not to mention characters that are memorable.

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I absolutely loved this show.

So I've been avoiding The Untamed for a while even though it is top rated on MDL. I'm glad I picked it up because this was such a delight. I've seen a few wuxia shows, and this is my favourite. Although they didn't do anything pathbreaking, what they put together was absolutely amazing.

Why you should watch:
1. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are the best soulmates ever and despite the censorship considerations you can absolutely feel their love. Also if you're not into BL or trying to avoid this because of the BL, please rest assured that this can be interpreted as a bromance.
2. Wei Wuxian (portrayed so well by Xiao Zhan) is a charming character whose choices are often different from the norm. You feel for him as he goes from being popular to becoming a public enemy. His friendship, loyalty and love for his clan members and others he meets along the journey was truly heartwarming.
3. Although the show toned down the controversial nature of Wei Wuxian and his path, its still a story about a man who strays from the norm and practices things which are considered 'evil' from the popular perspective. There are interesting questions about right and wrong, black and white.
4. The opposition to Wei Wuxian is also very interesting, in the beginning we only see pure evil being portrayed by the Wen clan leader, however once they are taken down you no longer get a clear view of what's on the good or bad side. There are questions about public perceptions and how strong they can get and how different it might be from reality.
5. All the cute boys! The whole cast is beautiful. Although none of them are experienced actors, they did a fairly good job and unless you're really picky you'll enjoy their performance.


What you may not like:
1. The production value isn't the highest so there are some issues. The costumes aren't the best, CGI isn't the best, editing isn't the best etc.
2. The opening two episodes are rather confusing because the timeline opens at the middle of the story and then theres a flashback to 16 years earlier.
3. If you want a romance between a man and a woman, none of it in this show.
4. The plot gets fairly heavy and heartbreaking in the middle, if you are looking for fluff this might be too much.

Overall I suggest everyone to watch this beautiful story with the cutest characters.

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I don't want to go really deep into the details so I'm gonna try to make this short. First of all, all I can say is - THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!!! The costumes, the hair, the people, the attitude, the acting and THE MUSIC OMG THE MUSIC was just beautiful and all I needed. At first I was not really sure if I want to watch it, cause I'm not the biggest fan of historical dramas but I saw A TON of really good feedback and decided to give it a chance, thinking that it only has 25 episodes (idk y I thought that) and I was really confused about what is happening the first 10 or so episodes and only by then I started to memorize all the names and what is happening and is whether the story is in the past or present. But oh bo was I hooked and when I saw that it actually has 50 episodes I was so damn exited. Binged until the 36th and then the wait for the new episodes started but it was worth it since they were uploading them frequently. The only reason why I didn't give this drama a 10 is because of the really cringey moments and bad/also cringey SGI. Yes, I know that SGI is not easy but some moments were just unbearable and I wanted to either cringe or laugh. All of this for me personally was saved by the great acting and of course the music. OMG, I can not stress enough how good the soundtrack is!!! I just love it so damn much!!! I have recently started to listen to a lot of Chinese songs and I find these so damn beautiful even though everyone around me thinks that it's weird.

Overall this is a must-watch for the acting, beauty and the music! Truly suggest!

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i really want to share my thought on this.
TT-TT I CAN'T REALLY HATE ANYONE IN HERE
i thought WWX, JGY, and XY kinda have almost the same background story.
all 3 of them have a very sad pass, WWX and XY barely survive as a kid, JGY cary all the anger and pain all by him self through his whole life. and in the end 3 of them have someone who trusted them with their whole heart. WWX have LWJ, JGY have LXC, even XY have XXC. but this what i think made their life turn out to be different in the end.
- WWX as a kid he lucky JFM got his back, he has JC and shijie too who love him so much and take care each other like real siblings do. he grow up having a family around him and someone who look for him for 13 years even after the whole world turn their back agains him. shijie and LWJ trusted him, while JC i really think he just angry about things he let happen to WWX. so lucky this one turn out to be the good one and it end well for WWX
- JGY no one look at him until his 2 sworn bother. he held to much hatred towards his own father and just his own life overall. everyone was like being nice to him just because the position he got and throw him under the bus when he's no longer useful. so he kinda need to secure the thrown he sat on bcs he don't want to be step by anyone again (he must be tired dealing with this through his whole life). i can't blame LXC to trust him that much in the end he is the only person that JGY don't wanna hurt. i mean look at LWJ, he also trust who all the people thought as a bad guy.
- XY.... this one just.. TT-TT he have no one.... NO ONE.. until a blind guy named XXC save him from dying. and this blind one end up trusting him and be on his side. so XY end up having someone who trust him but didn't know who he is, and XY know once XXC know, it will all be over. this XXC really did ignore all the sign a-qing ever said to him, just like LWJ and LXC ignore everything the world said about WWX and JGY. XXC really did trust XY, and he is the only one XY ever had (he knew a-qing only stick around for XXC and never trust him). and in the end after XXC knew it all, he back to the point he have no one. striking XXC with his words, he didn't want to physically hurt XXC, but he saying everything that could possibly hurt XXC because XXC no longer trust him and hurt him by words as well. he was taking revenge for that but he never thought his words really gonna drive XXC to his death.
...
this series really thought us how important human connection didn't it? how having someone who love you and you love could save your whole life. imagine WWX didn't have JFM who pick him up from the street. he gonna turn out to be like XY wouldn't he?
-WWX he never fool/fake anything towards him self, his fam, and LWJ, he always try to be true to him self, his act was sincere towards everyone as well, i think that's why LZ trust him as well.
-JGY fools everyone, putting a mask every time he face someone. but if it's true what he said, he never fake anything in front of LXC (he just didn't tell him things) his smile and feeling was sincere towards LXC, and that sincere feeling really did reach LXC that's why he trusted him till the very end.
-XY this one fool everyone and fool him self. he never know what is wrong or right, he only know what was agains is right for him. even after receiving kindness from XXC, he won't admit to him self that he was fond to it. what he knew is he need to use XXC. for XXC what they have are manipulative and it's purpose was to hurt him(XXC). he took all the trust he every given and kill him self, and it's backfire to XY who can only admit to him self after XXC really dead.
...
this i only realized after done watching the series, ready the novels, and watch/listen to all the OST from the drama. the lyrics contains each carachter's feelings and mind.
..
kudos to this drama. all the cast and people who work hard to finished this drama.
for real u guys who didn't see their official MV and songs, go search for it.
K im talking to much..go watch if you haven't... or go re-watch^^

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Antes de ver, vi tantas fotos, gif, pôster, fanart e vídeos por todo twitter, então decidi dar uma chance, não me arrependo. Primeiro comecei o drama, então descobri que era uma adaptação de um novel, fui atrás para ler em quanto via e até acompanhei o manhua, isso me deu a oportunidade de dar uma aprofundada na estória e me fez perceber as alterações feitas por causa da censura. No começo a quantidade de episódios me assustou, cinquenta, o maior drama que já tinha visto tinha quarenta, porém o ritmo não me fez perceber isso, quando vi estava perto do fim.

Sobre os personagens Mo Xiang Tong Xiu fez um trabalho maravilhoso, a maioria com grande profundidade que os humanizou, sem contar os detalhes como as seitas, suas cores, símbolos, leis. Os vilões bem trabalhados e o legal é que todos poderiam ser um, até figurantes. Os principais tem foram cativantes, amei como eram opostos. Aqui quero dar todo crédito às atuações de Xiao Zhan e Yi Bo, mesmo com a censura conseguiram trazer vida a Wuxian e Lan Zhan perfeitamente, seus olhares tramitem tudo o que não está ali.

Já vi algumas adaptações de cinema que deixaram muito a desejar, mas aqui não, claro que há modificações seja pela censura por ser um casal homoafetivo, outras singulares que para nós não faz sentido, mas para China sim, ou pelo limite do orçamento. Creio que fizeram um bom trabalho e me apaixonei pela OST.

Final foi diferente, claro que a China não deixaria colocarem uma cena quente e foi adicionado um efeito dramático, mesmo assim, foi condizente com a novel, eles sempre estarão juntos.

Amei mesmo, verei os filmes e pela primeira vez em meus oito anos vendo dramas, repetirei um drama, no caso a versão especial. Com certeza nunca esquecerei dele e lerei outras novel de Mo Xiang Tong Xiu.

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Probably its the first time am writing a review. I accidentally read the name of this series in one of the YouTube comments and I think I cant' thank the enough the person who wrote the comment which made me watch this series. I haven't read the novel since I do not understand Chinese and i couldn't find any english translation but oh my God...if the series was this good I can't imagine how good the book would be..Dear directors, actors, scriptwriters please take a bow for this one. This is indeed a MUST WATCH!!You won't find the usual BL scenes as many have put it already, but trust me its not required at all. The relationship shown in here is so pure, I have cried with them, I have laughed with them, I have felt their pain. Each actor has done a wonderful job no matter how small their role is. Oh by the way, am yet to see such beautiful and handsome men (Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo). Last but not the least, thanks to the novelist, i hope some day I can read the original. Guys don't miss this one!!

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not for me

I knew this is not for me the moment i saw men flying on their swords, or spewing fire through the fingertips, and stone statues angrily walking around... I think you gotta be a certain age to fully enjoy this fantasy world - wuxia i think they call it.
These being said, i totally understand the hype around this drama: its strongest point is undoubtedly the acting. All actors/ actresses are young and handsome, the plot is there, some inspirational moments happen too...
The special effects are top notch! In fact, the entire production is fantabulous!
Still, my fav dramas have to lie to me more convincingly.

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It's totally a worth watching drama????
The story is engaging and you keep wanting to know what's next. It had so many beautiful messages. All the actors are really good, and portray the characters perfectly.
what to say about the leads, their chemistry was so beautiful, best bromance ever.???? The actors had killed it with their performances ????????
It was the most cherished bonding I have ever watched???? The way their friendship gradually developed from being just 2 opposite poles to relying on each other, taking care of each other, protecting each other, even giving up their reputation & ready to cut ties with the entire world just to stay by each others' side took my heart away ????
Thank you team Chén Qíng Lìng for choosing such a beautiful story and also depicting it so mesmerizingly. Thanks to all crew members whom were behind the scenes, u guys worked really hard to get us such a delightful series .
I have already watched it many times and still like to rewatch it ????
Highly Recommend ????
Love From India

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