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The Love Story of a "Wolf Pup" and a Spoiled Princess
EDITED 12/02/20Summed up for lazy readers:
-Wuxia Romance involving some politics and obviously, the concept of wolves.
-Not exactly tragic, but you will probably cry.
-Misunderstandings that some would call "stupid" or "unnecessary", but show the purest love. (just don't watch it for you can't bear misunderstandings)
-All main leads and seconds leads mature throughout the drama.
-Not the best CGI, but not the worst either.
-Not for people who dislike darkness and war.
This drama is simply...how would I say it...majestic. You may not be a big fan of wolves and darkness, but one thing is for sure: the moment you click that play button on episode 1, you are sucked into this mesmerizing world in which you cannot escape from. I ensure you, this drama will result in your panda eyes for the next few days.
(this review is kind of long. The main parts are in the first two or so paragraphs in every section)
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Story: 9.0
The Wolf is a romance drama in which their story starts with an unbreakable bond of friendship. We have "Lang Zai", or Wolf Pup, the nickname given to him from Xing'er, our female lead. He was abandoned at birth, but miraculously saved and then raised by a wolf pack. They become his family, and he learns the way of the wolves. He is a "wild man", but he has the purest and kindest heart inside, and will protect his family and friends at all costs. After he meets Ma Zhaixing, the pampered and doted daughter of the city master, he starts to learn that he is a person, not a wolf, and they become the best of friends. It also includes the concept of political power; Prince Bo must learn to avoid the devious plot of others and gain the emperor's full trust. And with this, he must obey the evil emperor, even if it means sacrificing his purest love. At times, these scenes bored me, because I'm not particularly a fan of politics in dramas, but it was satisfying when the evil are exposed.
Why would I call this drama majestic? The story simply reminds me of mountains, of peaks that soar into the sky. First of all, the CGI in my opinion, is quite breathtaking. The animals created by computers may seem simple to make, but they include such intricate detail that their interactions with Wolf Pup, the later Prince Bo makes it hard to believe that wolves would have such kind hearts to take in a baby boy, a human, a wolf's greatest enemy. They truly do give us that feeling of familial love, the warmth, the affection, how much they care for each other. And when Wolf Pup's family members sacrifice themselves without any hesitation to save him, the tears start falling like an endless waterfall, they really do.
Xing'er starts out as this spoiled girl, the "jun zhu", or princess, of the city. Even though she is just the daughter of a concubine, she is most doted on by her father, and they have a very strong father-daughter bond. She is a playful and adventurous girl, always giving off happy bouncy vibes. After she meets Wolf Pup, she begins to go to the mountain to visit him regularly, and she eventually even persuades and encourages him to go down the mountain to see the world of humans, and that not everywhere is as evil as he thinks.
(SPOILER ALERT) We meet our next box of tissues when they have to separate. (I will not say much in case I spoil it too much) In every drama, sacrifices must be made, and unlike many other ones, this one was certainly not "childish" or "stupid". The female lead had a very good reason to leave our dear Wolf Pup, even if it was too heartbreaking for some of us to handle. The separation lasts 8 years. Xing'er still refuses to marry, as she can't let go of her love for Wolf Pup. Meanwhile, Wolf Pup has been adopted by the emperor and is made the third prince, Prince Bo. He is strong and powerful, but it hasn't occurred to him that his survival was just for the emperor to manipulate him for more power. After a tragic event, our princess meets this cold and ignorant prince, who keeps denying his true identity. Their relationship starts out on a bad note, but they become closer and closer over time. But as we progress further into the story, we meet our doom: a misunderstanding that causes even more heartbreak. Unlike the first sacrifice, this one seemed a little stupid and cliche. Chu Youwen breaks Xing'er's heart on purpose to "protect her" and although this is pretty necessary, his way of overcoming this situation was not the very best. Misunderstandings lead the drama for quite a long time, but we, the audience, could definitely learn a few life lessons as well as enjoy the bitter romance. At first, I thought that explanation would've been better, but I was wrong: The silent sacrifices that both of them made for each was true love. Some people say that it was dumb and that they could've just told each other everything, but would you be able to tell your love that you betrayed them? Most likely, no.
But the few misunderstandings doesn't stop us from loving this drama and following the couples as they experience love, hate, trust and doubt. It is truly an adventure. As for the ending, if you want to be spoiled, it will be at the very bottom.
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Acting/cast: 9.0
CHU YOUWEN- Darren Wang's wild side is truly wild. (and sexy!) He starts off as that "wolf" who is oblivious about everything, but after he experiences the terrible heartbreak from the person he was closest to and becomes a royal prince, Chu Youwen. That cold air around him is so cold that it makes me literally shiver. He still loves Xing'er, but thinking that she despises him, tries hard to let go of his past. (which, obviously, he fails at) We can see the desperation in his eyes when Xing'er is in danger, and he always saves her in that moment of terror. Xing'er's hero. And when he's cruel to the enemy, he is truly c-r-u-e-l. If anyone hurts his Xing'er, they're basically doomed. Prince Bo is not just a royal prince, he's also a wild wolf, loyal to the ones he love, but merciless to the ones he hate.
MA ZHAIXING- Personally, Li Qin's acting at the beginning was not the best, but the emotions she showed eventually were so top-notch that (you guessed it!) my tears start falling every few minutes or so. I wouldn't consider myself someone who cried often, but I'm just a few episodes in and my eyes are strawberry red. Xing'er's love for Wolf Pup is just so pure that you sometimes wonder why she won't simply just go explain to him why she said those terrible words to him. The tragic event causes a personality change in Ma Zhaixing, and although she is still bright and relatively talkative, we don't really see that spoiled princess anymore. Xing'er is intelligent, and undoubtedly kind. She will sacrifice almost anything for the people she loves, including her life, if she has to.
When I said that they were made for their roles, it also included chemistry. Their chemistry is one of the very best. When the main leads get close to each other, we also feel the excitement and the butterflies in our stomach. Their expressions show everything. Even if they try to be cold to each other, the coldness is only temporary.
As of the supporting roles, we have quite a few talents, including the subordinates of Prince Bo and Ma Qing, Zhaixing's friend. They are servants, but they are the most loyal and most caring. The evil characters were unlike the ones we see in other dramas. They are purely evil, evil to the point that they could manipulate people so easily that they wouldn't be discovered for years. We also have two other supporting characters that really gained my love: Ji Chong and Bao Na.
JI CHONG- Ji Chong, played by Xiao Zhan, is the second lead that will give you second lead syndrome. (unfortunately) He's there when the female lead needs him, and loves her as much as the male lead, but he just doesn't get the chance to show how much he loves her, because the female lead only sees him as a friend. He married Zhaixing, kissed her, hugged her, but failed to gain her affection. It has quite heartbreaking for me, because Ji Chong is a talented, caring and intelligent man, and he's no worse than Chu Youwen. He stayed with Ma Zhaixing for quite a long time, and helped her a tremendous amount, but no matter what he did, it simply wasn't enough. He met her later and that was the main disadvantage. Xiao Zhan's acting was especially nice (but it could also be because I'm a fan of him). As Ji Chong, he showed he care and desperation for Ma Zhaixing clearly, and I felt him tremendous pain when he knew that they weren't meant to be together. So yes, we have the ill-fated love triangle.
BAO NA- Bao Na is another character that I love. She starts out as the bratty princess who thinks that she will get everything she wants. She was "deeply in love" with Prince Bo at the beginning, and was terribly annoying. I was afraid that she would be a second female lead, but she actually isn't. She realizes her mistakes and after seeing Ma Zhaixing also die to protect her, becomes great friends with her. She also grows into an intelligent and brave young woman, very different from the whiny and bossy princess she started as.
YAO JI- She starts off as the archenemy of Chu Youwen because of certain reasons, and we hate her from the very start. I mean, even her look is 100% evil! She is skilled in astronomy and poison, and is very skilled in scheming. She is that most hateful character at the start, but she's unlike Bao Na, who just pesters Prince Bo. She's more of his competitor, but it always seems like she wants to kill him. But...that's not the case. As we move further into the story and she reveals more of her personality, it is clear that she cares deeply for Prince Bo, but she simply can't express her feelings. She has helped Prince Bo go through multiple hardships, and in the end, they become great friends, the kind of friend that will stick together no matter what. Bravo, Xin Zhi lei, for showing us that someone may look evil, but are the most caring inside.
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Music: 10
There are only a few songs (7 to be exact), but I simply love the OST. While they may seem repetitive at times, the songs are presented to us in quite a few ways: Normal singing, different instrumental backgrounds, and the change in speed and pitch. The singing is beautiful, the background instrumental music matches perfectly and the lyrics are like the ripples of a river, moving the story along slowly. The songs clearly show us the longing the two main leads feel for each other, and the unsaid words they just need to say. There is also some rap incorporated into one of the songs, which takes the music up another notch.
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Rewatch value: 8.5
I do not think that I will ever get tired of this drama. The amazing scenery alone is enough for me to stare at the screen for hours. And with the interaction of the main leads and second leads, oh, how would I not want to rewatch it?
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Overall: 9.0
This beautifully written and majestic story is one rarely seen in C-dramas. We do start with a spoiled princess, but she meets the wild boy, and learns that some people have the evilest hearts. Even if you wanted to go take a break, I don't think you could, because this drama is certainly not merciful in terms of allowing you to get out of your seat. There are a few misunderstandings that seem a little unreasonable, but they all work out in the end. We are presented with the occasional comical scene to give us a short break from the next situation. Oh, and prepare the tissues and the explanation to your friends and family about why your eyes are so swollen and red.
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Who is the big bad wolf?
This is a passionate fantasy fairytale that unflinchingly explores the thin line between love and hate and many emotions in between with a dark intensity that will not appeal to everyone. Hidden within this dark, at times ugly complexity is a simple, intense mythical love story that is beautiful in its fleetingness.Once upon a time, Xing'er, the lonely young daughter of a feudal lord befriends Langzai, a wild orphan boy raised in the forest by wolves. Even before they understand what it means, they fall in love and form an unbreakable bond. But after a terrible misunderstanding, Langzai is whisked away by the tyrannical, paranoid and evil emperor Chu Kui who weaponizes him. When they meet again, Langzai is the fearsome Prince Bo, a ruthless, lethal military leader who keeps the mad, bad despot's internal and external foes in check. And Xing'er has grown up to be the beautiful Princess Ma Zaixing, a pawn whose family's military might is coveted by both Chu Kui and the rival Jin king. A damning accusation, divided loyalties and duty forces them to be mortal enemies and opposing forces push them towards what appears to be mutually assured destruction. Can true love uncover the truth that can defeat the darkness in their souls and free their land from evil?
This drama is not plot driven; the story is easy to follow with a few well conceived mysteries to be revealed but the villains are known from the outset and there are no shocking twists. It is very well paced and the action and battle scenes are ferocious, brutal and gripping. Rather it is largely a character driven drama where the main protagonists fight for who they choose to be and who they want the love of their life to be. It asks the question - who is the big bad wolf or who are the monsters? Is it the wolf in wolf's clothing or the wolf in sheep's clothing?
This character drama is made especially memorable by the many well cast and compellingly delivered roles. They are difficult roles to convey because all of the main characters are flawed and they all have inner animal avatars. When they are tempted or threatened their most primitive instincts emerge and we see both their best and worst selves. To properly appreciate this drama, it is important to keep this in context because the writing does not try to sugarcoat or suppress these traits, instead it gives them free rein to build into raw moments of enraged conflict, unimaginable pain, dark passion, misguided loyalty, pure love and violent hatred. All of the characters make mistakes both selfish and well-intentioned mistakes with heartbreaking and irreversible consequences.
The styling and costumes of the characters are designed to accentuate their inner animals and each of them are written to highlight their inner animal's associated personalities and strengths and weaknesses. We know that Langzai/Bo Wang (Prince Bo), the titular character is a wolf. Xing'er/Ma Zaixing is a butterfly, the least complex, most single minded character of them all. Ji Chong is an eagle and Bao Na is a horse. Yao Ji, the most underrated character in this drama is an enigmatic, treacherous and wise snake (I think). Her relationship with Bo Wang is the most surprising, complex and interesting relationship in the drama, much more so than both Bo Wang and Ji Chong's relationship with Xing'er. I wonder how many supernatural abilities these characters were originally endowed with before the censors erased all of that stuff.
The following is a deeper discussion of the main characters and their relationships that inevitably contains mild spoilers. You can stop reading here and come back to the rest after you are done with the drama.
I initially mistook Xing'er for a frustrating character - weak, naive, unwilling to grow up and one dimensional. But that is her nature - she is a butterfly - a delicate, transitory being that is a symbol of youth, joy, love and beauty. Female butterflies mate only once and then they die. Her goals are simple and she is pure hearted but she is by no means weak; on the contrary she is single minded and unyielding in her love for Langzai and her determination to recall him from the darkness that is Bo Wang. Her heart is gently cruel in its lack of capacity to to let anyone else in. This kind of role is both very easy and very difficult and Li Qin pulled it off phenomenally (despite a shrill and atrocious voice dubber). I could feel her pain and disillusionment and teared up as I watched Xing'er innocence and love of life get extinguished into the strong, mature, revenge driven but indifferent Ma Zhaixing.
Bo Wang is a sexy, magnificent, conflicted and tortured beast of a character that I loved to hate in the beginning and hated to love at the end. He is the big bad wolf, a ruthless predator with savage methods but he is also highly intelligent, passionate and devoted to his pack or his family. Wang Dalu's portrayal is so vivid and potent that I could see a wolf lurking behind Bo Wang's every facial expression and gesture - I can't believe I have never watched this actor before. The scorching chemistry between Bo Wang and Xing'er is the most outstanding feature of this drama. Both actors have such intense screen presence that anyone that shares the screen with them becomes invisible. Their passionate, tormented kisses and the intense longing in their gazes give lie to their often toxic verbal exchanges. Their relationship scales the tortured depths of hatred and despair to the breathtaking heights of love and ecstasy. They are so convincing and moving as a couple that all of their love rivals pale in comparison.
Ji Chong is an eagle, a bird of prey that can see the big picture from high above and swoops down opportunistically and tactically to force the lovers to face each other as mortal enemies. Like Bo Wang, Ji Chong also tries to save Xing'er by changing her; in this matter he and Bo Wang have a common agenda. While their methods are diametrically opposite, the outcome is the same in that they both cause her to suffer enormously. Bo Wang pushes her away harshly and cruelly while Ji Chong albeit charmingly, imprisons her with duty and obligation to her clan. Bo Wang loves her enough to give her up but Ji Chong more selfishly and somewhat naively tries to wheedle and manipulate his way into her heart. Ji Chong and Bo Wang are both ultimately well intentioned but make many mistakes and are thus equally responsible for all but erasing the Xing'er they love. I am very impressed that Xiao Zhan chose to play such an interesting, endearingly immature and flawed second lead rather than yet another insipid and suffocatingly noble and selfless one. Just as with his iconic interpretation of Wei Wuxian, Xiao Zhan's blinding charisma compels us to forgive Ji Chong's flaws and weaknesses and even empathize with him.
Surviving to exist is not important to Xing'er who only cares that she rescues her Langzai so that they can retreat into the forest away from the two legged monsters that walk the world outside. With this in mind, the drama's ending is not just good, it is also fitting. As someone who loves such beautifully flawed and even dark characters, I find Xing'e and Langzai's mythical love story to be unforgettable so this has to be a 9.0 possibly even a 9.5 for me. I can understand why others may find the themes too darkly disturbing and judge the characters much more harshly.
I will end with a nursery rhyme I vandalized for @sony_t:
Wheedle eagle, pudding and pie,
Kissed the butterfly and made her cry,
When the wolf came out to play,
Wheedle eagle flew away.
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A Bittersweet love story of a wolf and a girl
guys go grab your tissues!! i bawl my eyes out.Such a heart breaking bitter sweet story, loved it so much.I applauded Wang Da lu and Li Qin, they did great to act as Lang zai ( wolf boy) and Xing er ( Star)
When the female lead was young, she went to Wolf mountain and there she met a boy who was raised by wolf. She and the wolf would play together and she would forget about her sadness. Female lead ( Xing er) wanted to bring Lang Zai ( male lead ) to people and civilization. Meanwhile the people in town heard about how there is a scary beast inside Wolf Mountain. One day an official gets murder and the blame is on Lang Zai. The Ma family send their troops to find him. The Ma's son kills the wolves and hurts Lang Zai. He jumps off the mountain , Xing er gets her leg hurt trying to save Lang Zai. Fast forward 8years has pass. Lang zai was saved by the evil king, and healed him and trained him underground warrior, he is also given the new title as Bo Wang ( the 3rd prince). An order is sent to Bo wang's subordinates to kill the Ma family, but leave the daughter. ( the female lead's family is the Ma's) She is devastated, soon after she becomes Bo Wang's empress. Bo wang held a grudge against her because he though the Xing er betrayed him. He's initially cold to her but Xing er is sweet, pure and kind and what Bo wang does to her does not stop her from being kind. She brings warmth to the Bo wang household. Through a serious of encounter she figures out that Bo wang is Lang zai, who she has been longing for. They had their sweet moments but not for long they end up becoming enemies and fight against one another. ( there's a little more after that , but dont wanna ruin it all)
This story the relationship between the two is soooo sweet and cute! I loved the parts with Lang Zai and Xing er, just tooo cute, but their relationship is not all sweet. A lot of its really bitter because Lang Zai is no longer Lang zai but Bo wang, the third prince. He has to follow orders of the evil king. Xing er and Lang zai's relationship is so heart breaking and bitter sweet, i cried so much for their separation, hate and hurt. The sad parts are super sad and the sweet parts are like honey, tugs my heart strings so badly!!! Their kisses are very passionate and filled with chemistry.
I had second male syndrome!! I think a lot will like him Xiao Zhan !!! He was so kind and good to Xing er, only did good things to her, while Bo Wang hurt her alot!
This was the one drama that even though did not have the best ending I still liked it. It was really touching to see Xing er do that for Lang zai.
What I really liked was how she maintained a pure, kind heart even despite losing her family, betrayal, lies from Bo wang. She didnt really turn ruthless and cold hearted. In the end , she still had him in mind.
AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE MUSIC? so good!!! all the songs were perfect for the moments and sounded so good! i give the music like 20 out out 10. love love love it!!!
I didnt give such a high score for re watch because i dont want to go through all the crying...
I LOVED THIS DRAMA!!! GO WATCH IT PLEASE!!
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Love and Redemption for the Beauty and the Beast
This is a long awaited drama. Many viewers have come to watch Xiao Zhan's other dramas after his phenomenal acting in The Untamed. The storyline for The Wolf is intriguing. Perhaps more so for the original story, but in the drama adaptation, the supernatural elements have almost disappeared; there are no "werewolf" nor "interspecies" as tagged. The "wolf" here is a real human raised by wolves, without any human's social skills but with some traits of a wolf and extraordinary capabilities,This is an amazing story that should not be judged prematurely; viewers must be patient with the beginning CGI wolf scenes (they are not of their best but they don't really bother me), and also not be put off by what happens to the Ma family. Persisting in continuing viewing, you'd be rewarded as the drama gets better and amazing in later episodes. The story turns and twists with plots within plots.
The Story
This is the love story of a wolf boy and a daughter of a general. Their odyssey for finding each other and reuniting takes them through a lot of pains and sacrifices; their devotion for each other finally wins.
Langzai (wolf boy, played by Wang Dalu) and Xing'er (Ma Zhaixing, played by Li Qin) have grown up together, each day accompanying each other and playing in the wolves mountain (where the boy lives). They care and love each other deeply. She teaches him human skills and he teaches her about nature. Something happens and they are separated for years. Both grow up and the wolf boy is adopted by the Emperor and becomes a prince. They meet again and she is to become his consort. Due to some misunderstanding in the past when they were first separated, he has mixed feelings for her but falls back in love with her when he realizes his mistake, and for her, she still misses and loves her wolf boy. Unbeknownst to her, he is involved in the killing of her family. When she finds out his involvement, she is devastated. Despair and revenge overwhelm her. And for him, he is buried in remorse. They become enemies - one searches for revenge, the other searches for redemption. Their rift is irreconcilable and they part ways. When she eventually finds out that he has not directly killed her family and has been trying to make amends to redeem himself, she comes back to him, only to find him dying. She knows she cannot live without him. With uncompleted missions he needs to carry out before his death, she helps him and perishes. As with wolves that mate for life, he follows her in death soon after.
The Plot
A ruthless, suspicious, manipulative and power crazy Emperor creates a war machine from the Wolf Boy and makes him one of his sons to conquer lands around his kingdom. To bring peace to the world, Wolf Boy eventually restores his youngest and compassionate brother to the throne.
One amazing viewer pointed out that some of the characters did exist during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom periods. I was so shocked to learn that Bo Wang (Prince of Bo) was actually a real person, and how the events happen in the palace are actually based on some of the real historical events.
The Romance
Unmistakably, the romance is one of the best and the selling point of this drama. The heartaches, sacrifices, agonies, remorse, separations make this such an unforgettable watch. There are various reasons for Prince Bo (Wang Dalu aka Darren Wang) to sever ties with Ma Zhaixing (Li Qin) and push her as far away as possible despite how much he loves her. Firstly, he's involved in the killings of her family (though he hasn't given the order) and secondly, he is trying to protect her, because he knows she is his Achilles' heel and she would be hurt by others to hurt him. But on the other hand, he loves her so much that it's painful to hurt her in order to push her away, hence creating the push and pull romance that I love so much here; my heart hurts seeing his agony and her misery. Despite himself hurting her with his words, he would not permit anyone else doing it; the outcome of any disrespect towards his love is pretty serious, like losing all one's fortune or demoting from a city mayor to a standing city gate guard. He's remorseful for the killings of her family. To redeem, he helps her take her revenge on himself; he teaches her how to hit himself hardest and deadliest. However, he also knows for her to go against him, it means she's also going against the Emperor whom he is still loyal to. He needs to make her hate him so much that she's strong enough to stand up for herself and fight him. He figures, if she can fight him, that means she is strong enough and will not be hurt by the devious Emperor. He uses hurting words to make her hate him and motivate her to stand up to fend for herself. What he says (the nasty words) and how he acts (the seemingly despicable actions) are not how he feels inside. As much as I love Xiao Zhan, the chemistry between Li Qin and Wang Dalu is so incredible that Xiao Zhan stands no chance at all in overtaking it; Ma Zhaixing and Wolf Boy make a perfect pair with contrasting visuals and yet beautiful chemistry -- they are the Beauty and the Beast.
From Episode 38 onwards, I cry in almost every episode thereafter. Seeing how the characters suffer and continue to be devoted and determined really makes one tear up.
The Characters and The Acting
The acting by the whole cast is fabulous, in particular the main leads. They all have made the story come alive, some with inner animal traits, adding more intrigues into the story, mesmerizing the viewers.
- Wolf Boy (Prince Bo/Chu Youwen) and Wang Dalu
Wolf Boy (Wang Dalu aka Darren Wang) is an orphan raised by the wolves. He is kind and compassionate. Having grown up with the wolves, Wolf Boy has extra ordinary power – he's agile (he can survive jumping into the abyss), he has sensitive senses (he can see winds, hear the flapping wings of the butterflies, smell and see in the dark), and his powerful physical strength is unmatchable by any humans (he can single handedly kill two attacking tigers). It is this incredible ability that the Emperor takes him in and makes him a prince, only to use him as a killing weapon. Since then, he becomes heartless and cruel. He is sent out to fight all the wars; he is an unbeatable war machine. He rehumanizes when he meets up with Ma Zhaixing (Li Qin) again. She is given to him to be his future consort. Prince Bo does not have a beautiful face, but he has a beautiful heart. Despite being a wolf boy or a cold hearted war machine, he is always gentle and loving towards Ma Zhaixing. He loves his subordinates and his adoptive brothers, and always willing to die for them. He is loyal to the manipulative cruel Emperor because he wants to repay the kindness that his adoptive family has given him, in particular to the Emperor who has saved his life. Though he kills but he doesn't hurt innocents. When he refuses to kill for the Emperor, it becomes a predicament because to disobey means to be ungrateful to the one who has given him a second life, and to obey means he has to numb his own feelings. This predicament is central to his character development and the decisions he makes later. Despite losing his innocence as a wolf boy, I would have loved to see more scenes of Prince Bo retaining his prowess as a wolf, powerful and unbeatable; I wish he were as ferocious as he looks at the beginning.
Wang Dalu is the perfect actor for this character. With natural tan skin and a well built body, he really looks like a man who has lived in the wild and exposed to the elements. It is exactly this look that makes him a convincing ferocious wolf king. Carrying a sly hideous smile that tilts at the corner of his lips, Wang Dalu projects a fearsome and chilling image. As I get more familiar with the actor, oh boy, he grows on me. By the end of the drama, I find him so attractive, charismatic and irresistible. As I re-watched some of the episodes, I come to realize how difficult his role is. On one hand, he has to show he is a cold, war machine with no emotions, but on the other hand, he has to let the viewers see his agony, turmoil and most of all his love for the woman of his life. Despite some viewers criticize him for not emoting very well, I feel Wang Dalu has done exactly what he is supposed to do - his expressions should be subtle and cannot be easily understood by others. He has to hide his emotions, and with any feelings that he may show, it's always fleeting. I can definitely feel him when he is in turmoil and agonizing over his love and loyalty. Wang Dalu's acting is perfect!
- Ma Zhaixing and Li Qin
Ma Zhaixing (Li Qin) is the daughter of a general who controls the Armies of Ma. She is beautiful, kind, intelligent and delightful like a butterfly. She loves Wolf Boy whole heartedly and doesn’t care how he looks and what he is; she just loves him as he is and his kind heart. As the story unfolds, Ma Zhaixing’s experiences are painful and heart wrenching, hurting over and over again by the man she loves. She’s forced to become strong and take charge to avenge for those she’s lost.
Li Qin is beautiful and adorable as Ma Zhaixing as a young girl (about 10 years old, it's a long stretch but well... ) or later as an adult. She has that gentle and delightful demeanor, and has played her role so well and convincing, bringing out the pains and agonies Ma Zhaixing is going through and making the viewers empathize and sympathize with her.
- Ji Chong (Prince Chuan/Li Juyao) and Xiao Zhan
Ji Chong is a wandering prince disguised as a mercenary. He can communicate with the eagle and has excellent martial art skills. He falls in love with Ma Zhaixing who takes him as a good friend. Despite not reciprocating his love, he continues to help Ma Zhaixing getting through her most painful moments. Like an eagle roaming the sky, Ji Chong is free-spirited and resourceful, and a very well-loved character.
Xiao Zhan has an untamed aura that fits perfectly into the Ji Chong character here as a flamboyant and yet compassionate person. However, Xiao Zhan doesn't come on screen until Episode 11. Once on screen, his character is colorful and mesmerizing, and his performance is natural and believable. He compliments the character of Prince Bo who has a more serious and solid personality.
- Other Cast
Other cast members are equally impressive. As the Emperor of Yang, Chu Kui (Ding Yongdai) is ruthless, suspicious, manipulative and power crazy. Ding Yongdai’s acting is simply amazing, capturing all these elements of the character, making the viewers hate and yet fear him. All acting is just fabulous and immaculate.
The Official Sound Tracks (OSTs)
This drama produces some amazing OSTs. As a lover of classical music, I wasn't into the rapping parts in the song Who Am I initially. However, as the drama grows on me, the song sinks deep into me; I come to love it. Another song I love is the OST Heavenly Wolf Star. The instrumental Bo Wang's Heartache is another of my favorites. Each song digs deep into the listeners, helping the viewers feel the resignation and helplessness of the fate of our characters. The instrumental tunes are sad, mysterious and heart pounding, capturing everything in the story. Must listen!
My verdict
This drama has attracted a lot of attention because of Xiao Zhan after The Untamed. The Wolf was made before he became a superstar, therefore there is dissatisfaction with his fans for him playing a second male lead. Despite being a fan of Xiao Zhan myself, Wang Dalu has made a more convincing wolf king than Xiao Zhan would have; Wang Dalu has the look, physique and charisma for the role. The production team has made a perfect selection.
This is a rather heavy drama, with few dark jokes, such as the mantis analogy (the Khitan princess Bao Na [Guo Shuyao] depicts the relationship between Ma Zhaixing and Prince Bo as if they were the mantises, one eating the other after copulation, and Prince Bo rebuffs that it's the male mantis that gets eaten - I've laughed for days over this joke).
The storyline is intriguing and the characters are well developed and acted. There are no indications of any interspecies nor werewolf as suggested by the tags though there is supernatural power exhibited by The Wolf. The overall cinematography is fantastic despite some poor wolf CGIs in the beginning (actually they're not too bad), but others are pretty decent, especially the CGI tiger scenes (those are epic together with the acting of Wang Dalu). By looking at the cast that have not appeared and some disjointed editing, it is pretty obvious that some interesting scenes may have been cut abruptly to shorten the length of the drama (or due to censorship?). Whatever it is, this is still an amazing and enjoyable drama that depicts love and redemption, loyalty and betrayal, sincerity and deception, remission and revenge, humanity and atrocity, harmony and warfare, with amazing fighting scenes, and most of all, a beautiful love story of a beauty and a beast.
The ending may not be placatable for some viewers, but it is beautiful at the same time, regretful. For me, a good drama should not depend on whether it is a happy or sad ending; it is about the overall story and acting.
This drama is one of my all-time favorites and deserves a rare 10/10. Don't miss it!
TWO THUMBS UP!
Want more about the actual historical story? Read this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Wen
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An average fantasy drama that does not live up to its potential, with outdated character dynamics
SPOILERS BELOWThis drama had a promising start and and interesting setup. A secret princess and a wolf boy who was turned into a killing machine go from lovers to enemies because of fate and the evil machinations of the higher powers. Their relationship is repeatedly said to be “cursed”. But will Zhai Xing and Lang Zai’s love triumph in the end?
…No, it won’t. Because this drama’s promising setup turns into a mess of recycled tropes and predictable, cliché storylines as the episodes progress. The characters also lose the freshness they had at the beginning and become walking tropes repeating the same lines and doing the same things over and over as the story drags on. By episode 30 I was ready to drop this drama because the eye rolls were getting too frequent, but I kept watching to stick with the few storylines that I liked and to see if the ending had any redeeming qualities. It didn’t. The ending was actually the final nail in the coffin.
THE GOOD:
The best aspect of this drama is the higher-than-average production quality, that can be seen in the sets and the costumes. The CGI isn’t top notch but is also not bad for a production of this kind. The battle sequences are also well made.
The story is also not all bad. There are some beautiful scenes, some good character moments, some emotional parts. The first ~15 episodes are good and don’t drag that much. Ji Chong’s arc is, for the most part, good. He is the most normal and relatable character and I enjoyed most of the moments the FL spent with him. He’s smart, capable and caring. The FL can actually grow and develop thanks to him. He was honestly the only breath of fresh air in the middle part of this drama.
THE BAD:
My biggest problem with this drama are the two main leads and their dynamic.
Nowadays, overbearing, jerky and brooding male leads feel like a thing of the past that new dramas are moving away from or are trying to put a new spin on. But The Wolf doesn’t do that with Bo Wang.
The ML is constantly humiliating, putting down, lying to the FL to “make her stronger” or because of some other excuse. I couldn’t keep count of the cringey moments that are played as “romantic” but it’s actually the ML being an a**hole to the FL, pinning her to the wall, throwing her on the ground, physically hurting her, forcing himself on her etc. This is such a bad and outdated drama trope. You might find it sexy once or twice, but beyond that it just makes you feel uncomfortable.
I would understand the need for those moments if Zhai Xing actually got stronger and was able to strike back at Bo Wang as a result, but no, he always overpowered and outsmarted her. Even when they’re enemies, in charge of opposing armies, they’re not equal. He still treats her like a child who needs to be coddled and she just lets him degrade her.
And in the end she always falls back into his arms and he gets forgiven for the horrible way he treated her because LOVE, I guess.
The FL is mainly a plot device, with very little agency, tossed from one place to the other, from one role to the other, in service to the story and to the ML’s manpain. She can’t even get her revenge through her own determination and hard work, because it’s the ML who does everything and decides that he has to sacrifice himself to give her her revenge. And in the end they didn’t even give her a good and happy ending, but a contrived and baffling one which was the biggest eye roll of all. She truly only existed in service to the ML’s manpain until the end.
Finally, I have mixed feelings regarding the acting. I think the actors did the best they could with the script they had, that leaves little room for character depth and constrains them into too many tropey and repetitive situations. I also heard there were reshoots that probably had an impact on the performances.
In the scenes where the actors can express themselves more or play different emotions than those usually assigned to them, their acting shines more.
Xiao Zhan is probably the one who gets to play his character with more freedom and range. Li Qin is not exceptional here, but she does her job well. Out of the main cast, my the biggest problem is with Darren Wang: if he’d been able to give his character more humanity, letting us see the Lang Zai under the surface a bit more, I think Bo Wang would have come off less of a wooden jerk. But again, it's probably not all his fault but the script’s and the direction’s.
CONCLUSION:
The only reason I would ever recommend this drama to anyone is if they're a big fan of any of the actors and are just satisfied with seeing their idol on screen. If you're looking for a fantasy drama that explores love, friendship and revenge through a good story and well-written characters, The Wolf is not it.
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I hate the male lead
The story is pretty cliche, this has similarities to goodbye my princess instead the female lead actually lives in the past way more than she should, I get it he was a wolf but she keeps saying wolf boy like more than 10 times every episode and also calls him wolf boy more than she should, the male lead is highly annoying, manipulative, cruel and cold. He also by his own words says " he will do whatever he wants" as in how he tried to rape her as an excuse to make her hate him... And the worst part is that she apologized?! Like... After that ep I knew I wouldn't take this drama seriously. Also I once read how they hated the aluminum foil gowns they keep dressing the male lead and after that I couldn't see it either way ? the female is highly clingy and I would accept it if the male lead was good to her but he isn't he is cold most of the time with her and he does have his reason but he repeatedly goes after her over and over and then rejects her and treat her badly.. Also the actress can't cry no matter how she tries all she does is the sound of crying but her eyes are always so dry so I can't feel the true emotion at all. Honestly I hate this drama and even now on episode 27 she knows the truth that he killed her family and she legit crying to him and their past ? idk it's hard for me to consider it a good cdrama till now.I finished this drama and all I can say is I rather have a story of bao na and the general than the wolf and here is why.
Bao na even though spoiled she had a better back bone than female lead she Straigh up told the FL she would kill the wolf boy for her for being such an ass to her but then again FL refused
Bao na liked the general and she went for it like a queen and even became a soldier and honestly a princess pretending to be a soldier to simp on a general? That story for me is SOLD 10/10 would watch
Did my idea of the ml being an ass every changed? Nope it didn't, I found their love story quite boring and repetitive and the fact that the only wolf related scenes are the same ones which is episode 1 over and over again after that their are no wolf references, NOTHING. If you remove episode one it's just a normal historical drama and a girl calling a guy wolf repeatedly throughout the whole serie and that's it.
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OH, MY GOODNESS!!!
Darren Wang's acting is incredible, exciting, seductive and sexy!! I felt every emotion he executed. Many times, I wished I was the female lead (Li Qin) so I could be touched by his emotions good or bad. I went through an emotional roller coaster on every episode!! I watched all 49 episodes using VPN with no subtitles. What does that tell you about this drama?!! Dramas such as this one is the reason why I enjoy Asian drama!! I will definitely re-watch as each episode is subtitled and then I will re-watch the entire drama.BRAVO!!! ?? Great show!!
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Michelin star ingredient that turned out to be fright chicken instead.
Here am I again, emotional about the binging 49 episodes of the Wolf and conflicted about how I will rate this drama. Apologies for the lengthy review.Let me start with what I genuinely like about this drama.
★Set-up:
The story of a boy raised by wild animals and later on fall in love with a human girl is nothing new. But putting this into a historical background in China, when the boy became a ruthless general serving the evil king, is new. The drama explored the grey areas of love and hate, revenge and forgiveness, evil and good, friendship and family, power and helplessness. The drama drew me into its fascinating world since episode one, and I just could not take off my eyes.
★Production:
Beautiful natural scenarios:
Many of the wide-angle shots are shot directly in the beautiful natural scenes of Shangrila. They are simply breathtaking. Even those scenes that have been created with the help of CG (e.g. the great battle) were very well executed. I am also impressed by the CG animals which looked extremely real and their fighting scenes thrilling.
Marvelous soundtrack:
Jolie Tsai herself sang the title song, which throughout the 49 episodes I only skipped 2-3 times. It is unique with a beautiful chorus mixed with modern rap. Jolie also sang a few great background songs that just were fitting perfectly to the scenes. I can see myself listing through the OST, again and again, remembering the scenes of this drama.
★Characters and actors:
This drama has an excellent set of characters.
For me, the most memorable remains the wolf, being one of the most complex characters I have ever witnessed in a Chinese drama (the other one being Li Cheng Yin fron goodbye my princess - in fact, both dramas have a lot in common).
The Wolf or Chu Youwen went through an extreme character development of being an innocent wolf pup to feeling betrayed by Xing Er (Ma Zhai Xing). From there, he turned to a powerful general, understand the warmth of family and friends but at the same time gaining power through brutality and creating fear. Ma Zhai Xing re-appear in his life, he started to love again and regained some of his initial purity. However, the more he fell for her, the bigger the guilt he felt towards the FL. When he finally could not hide this fact, he used the cruelest method to chaise away his love of life so she can use her hate to kill him. He thought this could protect her and returned her happiness. When all the misunderstandings were finally cleared, he realized what it was mistaken, and they could finally enjoy a few moments of joy until the tragic ending. There were moments in the drama that I could not understand the wolf and his way of loving the FL. But later on, it all made sense, and I am grateful to see such an incomplete character coming to life. Darren Wang was the perfect actor for the wolf. He adequately depicted the young wolf's innocence, prince Bo's coldness and power, and love towards the FL. Most surprising of all, I think I have not seen a more "manly" Chinese male lead than Darren Wang as the wolf. I had seen Darren in previous roles, and he was just like any other idol Chinese male actor. I became a huge fan.
There are still a few aspects he could have done better, such as micro-expressions showing flashes of sorrow when trying to chaise away the FL or emotions of relief or affection during moments of reunion with the FL. I can see that he has great potential, and I am looking to his future roles!
A few words to the other characters:
I also enjoy Ma Zhai Xing's character a lot. I think she and the wolf had great chemistry. Just like the caterpillar turning into a butterfly, MZX went through enormous growth from a naive girl to a respected ruler. It was painful to watch when her hatred towards the ML blinded her, but you also cannot help but feel empathy, knowing how everything she ever believed in turned out to be a lie. Luckily, just like butterflies can always find their flower when the truth came out, MZX freed herself from all the chains to fully love and trust her WangZai.
This show would not have gained this big of popularity if not for Ji Chong's character, starring the famous Xiao Zhan from the Untamed. I can see this positive, carefree, brave, and kind-hearted role truly fits Xiao Zhan's personality. In fact, he reminds me a lot of Wei Wu Xian. In the end, like an eagle, Ji Chong longed for freedom and exploration which is what he decided to do. The only improvement is probably the romance. I wasn't sure if I understood why he fell in love with the FL and how he was ready to give up his desire for freedom for her; it felt abrupt and out of place. The same went towards the end when he decided on Princess Bao Na. Of course, Bao Na is a character loved by many, but it does not fit the list of reasons he has given why he liked the FL.
Besides, I need to mention Yao Ji. I love both her tragic and deep character as well as Xin Zhi Lei's performance. I enjoyed her acting as Duo Duo in Joy of life and certainly could compete with the FL in terms of skills.
Finally, two of my favorite supporting roles: Ding Yong Dai as the emperor Chu Kui and Zhang Hong Na as Ma Jing. Both had a very memorable performance in their roles and helped the main cast to shine.
Now let me come to the areas of improvement why I cannot give this drama a higher rating:
☆The story/scripting:
For me, the wolf had everything a great drama needed: unique set-up, complex characters, skillful production, and a famous cast. But the writing just failed in delivering to its full potential. There were countless developments, key events, and actions that felt out of place, illogical, artificial, and banal. On the one hand, I am in love with this drama, but these plot issues just once threw me out of the story numerous times. They left me with many unanswered questions in my head, feeling disatisifed when the credit of the 49th episode rolled.
Below are some of the key ones (spoilers ahead):
☆King Chu Kui and his sons
One of the most important turning points of this drama was that the king, in fact, killed his oldest son and hid it from both prince Bo and the 4th prince. He even blamed family Ma for not have lent a helping hand and justified his action of killing FL's family to prince Bo. The biggest gap is that drama never explained why he actually did it. I understand this drama had to be cut from 58 episodes down to 49, but this is a critical piece of the puzzle that just shouldn't have been left out.
Besides, the king's relationship with all of his sons remained a mystery to me. I know he was a cold-blooded person who used the wolf merely as a tool for his hunger for power, but he showed signs of affection to the 4th prince. What did the king feel when he knew the 2nd prince might not be his son? What was his intention to keep his 4th son alive after he has betrayed him? Later, did he truly wanted to pass on his throne to him when he knew he did not have much time left? Was he just being simple-minded or did he had some thoughts after he let the 2nd prince return? What did he feel when all of his sons left him, and even the head eunuch wanted to betray him in his final days of life? I recognize good dramas by giving their antagonist a soul, but the king was simply a tool in the Wolf. In fact, by answering some of these questions, the audience would understand ML's actions and personalities a lot better. Despite the brilliant performance of Ding Yong Dai, the show failed to deliver that.
Similar can be said about the 2nd prince. We knew he truly loved his wife who played a key role in the drama to keep him sane. The drama could have made this character less one-dimensional if they had let her appear in his final moments.
☆Bo Wang's relationship with the king
This point is slightly different than my previous critique as this shows more the feeling our ML had towards the king. The show's second arc focused on how Bo Wang chased the FL away, trying to protect her. Next to the guilt he felt towards his older brother, was there some degree of loyalty towards the king, or was it purely a lie he told the FL? There was one scene where he said he "needed to stop Chu Kui from his wrongdoings." Does it mean he ultimately did it for the FL and forgot about how the king raise him for seven years? Another turning point of the story was when the ML found out about the death of the oldest prince and decided to betray the king. But that was very late in the 2nd arc. What was his plan before that? Did he also intend to go against his king in any different way? What was Bo Wang and the king's last scene about when he forced him to step down? Was it guilt and remorse? That would go against the early theory. Perhaps it was simply respect... again, the show did not explain.
☆Displaying different types of love
I understand that the show tried to depict a different form of love, well-intended but ultimately misguided - which was great. The problem I have was the way the drama revealed these clues. They are hidden and maybe even confusing. There were verbal explanations to Bo Wang's Ye Cha at the start and actions to the end, e.g. by revealing Bo Wang did not throw away the wolf tooth pendant or by confessing to the FL that he missed her every day when she was gone. But why not share these earlier in the second arc? Most viewers were confused about whether the ML really stopped loving FL because of the cruel words they throw at each other. There were also little signs of remorse or bitterness in the ML expressions (which might be due to acting). It was confusing for many episodes.
When Bo Wang was sent to the prisoner's camp and protected the people there, FL said that she saw that he "changed" and he "reminded her of Lang Zai" it seemed he was remorseful about his cruel past behavior. But did he really changed? Or was he and has always been the kind Lang Zai but tried to be cruel to be strong? I will not find out the answers...
☆Jumping between black and white of emotions
This point relates to my point above. Love and hate just come and go like days and nights. ML suddenly dropped all of his affection and started to force FL to hate him the day after their beautiful wedding. Equally, when the FL found out about the wolf's truth, everything suddenly turned into perfect harmony. Both for her and the ML. Where did the conviction and the confidence go? Again, if the show had dropped hints of emotions or explanations throughout the arc (rather than a confession at the end - we are not in the mystery genre where we needed a surprise), this would not feel so abrupt and artificial.
Similarly, I did not understand the character development of Yao Ji. It was a too strong contrast where there was only suspicion and hatred between her and Bo Wang at the start (I don't blame them as she indeed suffered 5 years in prison because of him). But towards the middle, though she revealed her love towards Bo Wang, suddenly they turned out to be like "more than family members" who deeply trust each other? I wished this could have shared more about their past so we audience can understand their development.
☆Lang Zai and Xing Er
A central theme that comes up again and again is the pure love between Lang Zai and Xing Er. That was where both of them returned to and drove tears in many. But out of 49 episodes, the makers spend one episode describing them. Despite flashbacks throughout the show to fill this gap, it was not enough to appreciate and build up the emotions. I wished the team had spent more time on the first part, which was the entire show's foundation.
☆The ending
Sadly but true, the writing of the ending was not satisfactory. Though it was clear ML suffered from his early recovery from the Lang Gu Flower, but where did the sudden illness that drove him to his death come from? Why did it suddenly become so bad that he could not even walk properly? From the arrow of the 2nd prince? How did Yao Zi create an almighty medicine from the FL? Couldn't they just use any other person? And what was going on with FL's superpower that let her beating all the soldiers? Is it because of that medicine? What's going on with this ML dies for FL and then again FL dies for the ML? Wasn't there any other way to save the 4th prince? Did the FL really have to go all by herself and die in this way?
I have nothing against a bad ending. I think a BE is the best way to end this drama. But how this drama ended felt forced to create an artificial reunion and dramatic death in the loved ones' arms for which I could not shed any tears.
My ideal ending would have been: A series of push and pull between hate and love between FL and ML during the second arc. However, FL kills ML in the battle and fulfill ML's wish. FL later finds out about the truth and deeply regrets what she had done. She gave up all her titles and lived all by herself in the wolf mountain, remembering her wolf pup.
All in all,
For me, the Wolf was like a great piece of raw chicken soaked in high-quality spices and sauces ready to become a Michelin star dish. But to please the wider audience, it became fright chicken instead. But hey, fright chicken is needed. I loved it as well and will not easily forget it.
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Post comment:
Apparently, the original story was more logical and would explain so many of my questions above and made the story more logical - the novel version and the first adaptation but was cut and edited later. Will try to summarize this in three points:
1. In the original story the ML himself did kill FL’s father but heard the bell of FL, recognized her and saved her. Therefore he had a much stronger motive not to tell the FL about the truth and the hatred of FL towards ML is also justified rather based on misunderstanding.
2. In the original novel, after the ML fell off the cliff he actually dropped into a poison pond that can turned him into a real wolf when he smells blood. He became more less ”human” as compared to the drama adaptation. As a wolf, he was like a blank sheet which follows the order of the herd wolf (his owner) to whom is extremely loyal - if his owner is FL he is good, if he is owner is the king, he becomes a killer machine. That would explain his long loyalty to the king even if it was obvious he was only using the ML. However, this version would make the ML more flawed.
3. The drama adaptation cut out a lot of scenes from FL2. In the original version FL2 had a snake poison in her own body that can counter the ML wolf poison. But he had to suck her blood and it can only happen twice before she dies. That's the true explaination for ”sharing the same body and dying together”. In the novel FL2 did it once for him after he was being whipped by the king. At the end of the story, there was no poison that slowly killed the ML but he himself went ahead to kill prince 2 but was pieced in the heart by prince 2 . When FL rushed to the ML, prince 2 tried to ambush her but ML2 arrives and pushes him off the wall where he dies.
Instead of travelling the world with Bao Na, she forces ML2 to marry her. ML2 finds FL who hid herself after ML’s death. In fact FL2 took away ML’s body after the fight however the ML was seen somewhere being alive. This means there is a chance that FL2 sacrificed herself to save ML and he is still alive. Thus ML2 and FL decided to look for him.
As this shows the original ending was not this tragic but hopeful. But the characters were less heroic and more flawed. To please the audience the ML was changed to more humain and loyal to FL but this confused the story and seemed less logic.
I am not sure I can support the writer’s decision. What do you all think? Looking forward to hearing your opinions!
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Patiently waited 3 years for this. . . .
The story is pretty similar to other tropes done before. The main difference is the background of the male lead. Darren Wang plays Lang Zai/Prince Bo. He was raised by wolves and after he and Xing Er (Li Qin) meet at a younger age, they become close friends. Misunderstandings happen, Lang Zai's entire wolf family is killed and, thinking Xing Er betrayed him; Lang Zai is taken in by the ruler of Yang Kingdom, renamed Prince Bo, and raised to become a lethal weapon at the discretion of his foster father. During these 8 years of separation, Prince Bo has become cold and calculating while Xing Er maintained her kindness that's now mixed with sorrow due to her guilt at the failure to save Lang Zai. They meet again after Prince Bo's people are given the orders to and follow through with killing Xing Er's family. Now alone, Xing Er believes Prince Bo and his people to be her saviors and soon they are betrothed to each other (a ploy by the king to control the remnants of Xing Er's family's army). Their relationship starts off antagonistic because Prince Bo still believes she intentionally betrayed him but after the misunderstandings are cleared, he returns to treating her with the love and care he always held for her. Sadly good things never last long, and they are separated by more misunderstandings when Prince Bo realizes the true evil nature of his foster father. This leads to them eventually standing on opposite sides of a long-coming war.I think this is one of those dramas where, if you have an enjoyment for angst and misunderstandings, then this will be your cup of tea. The leads do spend nearly half the story on opposite sides due to the misunderstandings that the male lead refuses to mend (for his own reasons). The noble idiocy/sacrifice trope is the main cause of their misunderstandings but we see that both Prince Bo and Xing Er employ this when they make the choices to protect each other.
I personally enjoyed the soundtrack (I'm still searching for the song from the trailer from 3 years ago). The opening theme is alluring but I think the gem is Song Nian Yu's "Heaven Wolf Star 天狼星." It gives a melancholic, lullaby-esque feeling of heartbreak that perfectly matches the journey of love, separation, longing, and loss between Prince Bo/Lang Zai and Xing Er.
I really do think the cast is the selling point of this drama.
Let's start with the obvious: the three main leads are very good-looking. The three have similar facial structures (longer faces, slim noses, high cheekbones, etc) so all three complement each other very well. Styling-wise, Li Qin looks beautiful like she always does. I don't think the styling was flattering to the men. I loved Darren Wang's hairstyle but the outfits he wore made him look clunky. You can tell he's built but slim and his attire made him look bulky. I had the opposite opinion of Xiao Zhan. His attire was fine but his wig towards the end didn't highlight his facial features. Regardless, they all still looked beautiful because it would take a lot to make any of these 3 look unattractive. Truthfully, no matter who Xing Er ended up with, she looked fabulous with both.
My interest in this drama came from Darren Wang and Li Qin. I saw "Legend of the Naga Pearls" back in 2017 and instantly liked Darren because of his versatility as an actor. His characters from one work to the next were drastically different and it was his allure for me.
Li Qin has always been a weakness for me. Despite playing characters with similar dispositions/trajectories, she does it with an endearment that's very enjoyable to watch. She is one of those few actresses who can portray the "innocent, naive, and spoiled" female lead without making the role seem ignorant or annoying. I'm happy Xiao Zhan was here too since I did love him from "The Untamed" but if this drama had aired before 2019, I still would've watched it solely for Darren Wang.
Darren Wang is a gem and I don't think this drama truly allowed him to showcase his talent. He is so interesting to watch because he can pull off any character given to him. He has this innocence to him when he's Lang Zai that makes you want to stick him in a bubble so he will never get hurt. But as Prince Bo, he exudes hostility and malice. When he has on his veneer of cruelty, it makes you instinctively take a step back but then. . .he smiles his sincere smile and you question everything you know about life. Darren Wang has this extremely boyishly handsome smile that just wipes away any trace of doubt you could have in him.
Xiao Zhan has been very lucky because he's been able to play lovable characters, even as the second romantic lead. I don't say this to mean it takes away from Xiao Zhan's acting; he is a very talented actor. He certainly brings life to the lovable characters he does play which makes them more endearing. My first encounter with Xiao Zhan came from "Oh! My Emperor." As soon as I saw him smile, I became a sucker for him. He, like Darren Wang, has this amazingly handsome smile. Their smiles just melt your heart because there's this undeniable sense of awe in them. But when they smirk, it makes you want to simultaneously slap and kiss them.
As for this drama, Ji Chong is so awesome! He becomes Xing Er's rock and steadily stays by her side while respecting that her heart belongs to Prince Bo/Lang Zai. He has no malicious intents and he's reasonable. After a point, Ji Chong and Prince Bo/Lang Zai have a heart-to-heart, lay all their cards on the table, and reach a mutual respect and understanding with each other.
(SPOILER) Ji Chong is the reason why Prince Bo/Lang Zai and Xing Er are able to reconcile. If you didn't love Xiao Zhan before, you probably will after finishing this drama.
A very fantastic characteristic of this drama is how the two male leads approach each other. They are obviously rivals for the affections of the female lead, but neither fight in an underhanded way. When they pursue her, there's no purposeful deception about the other male and they both respect the choices of the female lead. It's also really telling that both men acknowledge the other is a man of quality and is worth entrusting the female lead to. Sadly, that kind of character maturity and self-awareness doesn't happen too often in dramas.
Overall, I don't think the story itself is anything spectacular but it was an enjoyable watch, especially if you love the cast like I did.
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Beautiful and emotional love story!!!
I loved everything about this drama! I didn't expect the drama to be this good but I was amazed by the actors and actresses acting skills on the drama. I cried throughout half the episodes and never wanted the drama to end, that's just how good this drama is! Probably the best I've seen so far for 2020 drama of the year. Before The Wolf came out, Maiden Holmes was #1 on my fave list but this drama The Wolf, takes the cake!I never thought Darren Wang was hot until I started watching this drama! Darren was so manly, hot and mesmerizing to look at in this drama! LOL His skin is pretty dark in this drama and I think he purposely tanned himself for his role as wolf boy and his dark skin goes well with his character! Darren looks so hot with dark skin, hope he stays tanned for ever! Some actors looks improve by looking darker example Louis Koo, Ron Ng and Darren Wang is one of them.
Xiao Zhan has a pretty boy face and doesn't have that rough edged, masculine feature compared to Darren Wang so I can see why he wasn't given the lead role. Xiao Zhan does play a very good supporting role and he plays his character so naturally! I definitely applaud him for his good acting skills.
The music and soundtrack goes so well with the drama too! Every intense situation in the drama with intense music makes it that much more interesting to watch!
Hands down this is a must watch drama and I highly recommend it!
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on being strong, on love, and on this drama in general
This drama started out good. The cinematography was great, the CGI effects were at least not terrible, and everything the actors did made sense. It was heartbreaking seeing the first of many conflicts form between the two main leads who shared such innocent and beautiful love for each other. If I had to summarize the main reason for nearly all these conflicts and misunderstandings, it would be:"If I emotionally hurt this person, they won't care for me anymore and will leave this place. This way, they won't be further hurt by forces I can't control. This way, they won't die."
This is a common trope that plays out in wuxia/xianxia c-dramas, with the characters thinking that the worse thing that could happen to anyone is for them to die. It's considered the "noble" thing for them to do. The question is, then, if it's so "noble" for them to do, why does it cause so many conflicts and misunderstandings? When the female lead first played out this trope, I could understand. They were both young, and the world was against them. When it happened again, and again, and again, I quickly got tired of how the male lead (Bo Wang) kept on humiliating, insulting and degrading the female lead all in the name of playing the noble sacrificial idiot. All the insults he hurled at her were apparently supposed to make her become stronger, but to me it just left an bad taste in my mouth. Bo Wang was supposed to love her. He was not supposed to make her cry and make her feel inadequate for being gentle and compassionate and warm. His belief that being strong meant being heartless and cruel is completely wrong and I hope the viewers out their don't come out of the drama thinking they want to fit these standards of being "strong". Being heartless and cold is not strength. It just simply means you don't have the ability to be vulnerable -- and to be vulnerable requires much more courage and bravery than boxing yourself up in a cold detached armor does.
Sure, maybe this part of Bo Wang's personality can be explained by being raised by wolves, or being put through torture by the king to become a killing machine. Maybe some people can say that his loyalty to his fellow soldiers and brothers meant he wasn't completely heartless. Maybe his strength on the battlefield means he gets a free pass at treating the woman he was supposed to love the most in the world horribly. I don't know about you, but the way he does whatever the emperor wants him to do even though his heart may be telling him to do the exact opposite just tells me that he's a cowardly man who's afraid to stand up for what matters the most to him.
Now, on to the acting. I haven't seen Wang Dalu in any of his dramas in the past, so I don't know if this is his usual level of acting. In the first arc, I fully believed him when he played the role of the naive wolf boy. He had a childish gaze and a genuine smile that melted my heart. It was when he became Bo Wang that I became confused by his acting. I sometimes couldn't understand why he would have a particular expression on his face. Was he trying to be Bo Wang playing the wolf boy? Or was he the wolf boy coming out from Bo Wang's inner heart and trying to show that oh, Bo Wang does have a heart? Overall, I'd give his acting in this drama maybe a 7/10.
Onto the female lead. Li Qin is good as usual. She's in many historical dramas and always tends to play the character of an innocent clueless girl who, through many hardships and obstacles, becomes worldly and wise. Not much to complain about here -- her character is believable and familiar. There's nothing about this character that really surprised me. I"d give her a score of 8.5/10.
On to Ji Chong. His character made me crack up in the beginning. His mysterious and suave personality was often comedic relief when the relationship between the two main leads got particularly tense. He has jokes up his sleeves LMAO. I'd say he was a good opposition character to Bo Wang because they were both princes, but their personality could not be anymore different. Ji Chong was thoughtful, funny, and compassionate. The one complaint I have is that after he truly and fully accepted the role of being Jing Guo's prince again, his character was minimized into being just a romantic partner for the female lead. I can almost say that everything this character does is due to the simple reason of liking the female lead. That's really all there is to this character in the second half of the drama. It was disappointing to see a character I had such high hopes for become such a bland and one dimensional character. I don't really know if this was the script, or just because this was Xiao Zhan's first big role, but I wish there were more levels to his acting that would have fully fleshed out this character as a powerful prince of an entire country. I'd give his acting an 8/10
tldr: everything would have been fine and no misunderstandings would have happened if only the two main leads were honest with each other. I would not want to be the female lead character.
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Regretting not dropping it ,, I stayed for the actors and the music
First of all I watched this drama because of the hype that was about it while it was on air,, just because Xiao Zhan was part of it after the untamed we needed any thing with Xiao Zhan in it ,, that was the main reason for me to watch itit started without him and I liked the two main leads also the story started really strong and fast paced
I enjoyed it at first to about episode 18 and then the Going around on the same circle began
going around and around the same story of the girl not knowing what the wolf real intention are and him laying to her abusing her psychologically ,, saving her from danger some sweet moments then going back to lying and deceiving and plotting against her in the name of protecting her and loving her
she hates him cry ,, endanger herself to get saved by him yet again then loving him few moments then hating him again
and that circle repeated itself for about 30 episodes ,, no politics no actual war or military actions no other side stories
just that over and over ,,, the side character didn't have much to tell about their own stories
I wanted to drop it at episode 29 but some fan said it will pick up the pace later in thirty something and it didn't ,, it just changed direction added Xiao Zhan's character to compete for her love with the main lead and them trying to win her over ,, one by rebelling her from him and the other by acting as her savior and servant
This was brutal watch of people annoying each other most of the time
Xiao Zhan's acting was amazing as his first role but it was really good
The only thing that I really love about this drama is the music and the songs in the scenes were really good
I regret the time I lost on this story but now I finished it by skipping alot to the end
and I'm not recommending this to anyone
the romance is dull and repetitive and the ending is tragic without meaning
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