Story - For those who love the novel and dissapointed because there's no BL in this, DON'T WORRY!! The bromance is wonderful and will make you can't stop smiling. The story is rather faithful to the novel (not exactly the same tho).. they adapted many sweet scenes of LWJ and WWX.. (Trust me, they adapted almost everything except the confession scene and steamy scenes). For the additional plots, I don't have any problem with them.. it doesn't really change anything (maybe only more screentimes for minor characters like Wen Qing and Jiang Yanli).. And I think they add a new character, Xue Chonghai, to smooth the story.. It was a big question in the novel HOW DID WWX LEARN DEMON CULTIVATION? And the story about Xue Chonghai is to answer the question..
This drama really has exceed everyone's expectations.. like, at first, in China, many the original novel fans can't accept the show (because there's no BL or Xiao Zhan & Wang Yibo don't have WWX & LWJ's charm, etc) and so The Untamed only got a low rating (4.8 in douban) but it keeps on increasing after the show airing.. now it has reached 8.0!! I think it proves the beauty of this show..
Acting/Cast - Both Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo did a great job in this drama!! At first, I though Xiao Zhan wouldn't suit WWX since he doesn't look like someone who talks a lot.. but I WAS WRONG.. WWX IS MADE FOR XIAO ZHAN!! And for Wang Yibo.. there're not many expressions shown by Lan Wangji here.. but I think Wang Yibo did a great job showing a cool but caring Lan Wangji~ >< The other supporting actors are new but really did a great job.. especially Yu Bin who played our little angel, Wen Ning~ like when he was stabbed, I can feel his pain too ugh.. ToT
Music - This drama has a set of beautiful songs.. the ending song, Wu Ji, sung by Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo and Yi Nan Ping are my favs.. Yi Nan Ping is a theme song for A Xian, A Cheng, and A Li.. the lyrics is so heartwrenching (I almost cried when the song was played).. and there are character songs too.. like Bu Wang sung by Wang Yibo for Lan Wangji's character song, Qu Jin Chen Qing by Xiao Zhan for Wei Wuxian's, Chi Zi by Yu Bin for Wen Ning's, Bu You by Liu Haikuan for Lan Xichen's, etc.. all of them have beautiful lyrics that tell the story of each characters.. MY EARS ARE BLESSED!!
Rewatch Value - DEFINITELY!! I can rewatch this wonderful drama again and again..
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NO REGRETS!!
To be honest, I do not like watching lengthy drama series at all, and 50 episodes was just too much for me. I started watching this out of boredom and let me tell you the only thing I didn't like about this was that it has only 50 episodes. I have never loved a drama this much. The story might be a bit complicated for those not aware of the wuxia/xianxia genre and related terms. But if you know something about them, this series will keep you hooked. Although, there is no apparent romance between the MLs but the chemistry speaks way too much. This is the only series without any flaws, according to me. I have watched many Chinese series after this, but not one has come to par with The Untamed. If you really want to enjoy it, I would recommend watching the original 50-episode version than the special 20-episode one. Also, some certain controversies have stopped fans from mentioning this drama on online platforms etc, but our hearts are forever filled with love. No one, absolutely no one could have played the lead roles better than WYB and XZ. This story was written for them. You won't regret watching this, trust me!Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
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Do you know why Heroes are short-lived? Here is the answer...
............Thoughts before starting and after watching:
I wasn't sure before starting this, whether I should give it a try or not... Actually, I was new to Cdramas that time and was searching for good dramas and also not into BLs (many people titled it as BL and the novel itself is a BL).
I am glad that I watched it... I don't know how the original novel is, but this drama is not a BL for sure... It is more like a friendship drama to me.... As many fans state they feel something more than friendship between main leads... but honestly, in my region, this refers to friendship among people that one can go to this extent for his bosom friend. The main focus of drama is on the core of the story, that is very interesting and worth to be praised... So, from my perspective, it's not a BL but a friendship drama which holds so much to learn about life...to come clear, I believe, majority of fans that see it as BL are the book fans, but I respect others opinion.. so no hate to anyone.
..........
Plot:
The pugilist world is ruled by the powerful Wen clan, which dominates over the smaller Lan, Jiang, Jin and Nie Clans.
Qishan Wen Clan, use fire-based techniques, dominating the land with its arrogance and might but secretly practice unorthodox methods of cultivation...Residence - Nightless City...
Gusu Lan Clan, the most righteous sect, specialized in music techniques, values etiquette, discipline and orthodoxy the most, and have more than 3000 family rules... Residence - Cloud Reassess...
Yunmeng Jiang Clan, skilled in water-related techniques, values passion and compassion... Residence - Lotus Pier.
Lanling Jin Clan, the richest clan. But along with being rich, they are also equally arrogant... Residence - Golden Koi Tower.
Qinghe Nie Clan, specialized in sabre techniques. Residence - Unclean Realm.
Wei Ying, the first disciple of Jiang Clan and raised by Jiang Clan Leader, sent to Cloud Reassess along with Jiang Cheng and Jiang YanLi (children of Jiang Clan Leader) to take lessons from Lan Clan... The disciples from other clans also came to Cloud Reassess to take lessons.
While studying and training in Cloud Reassess, Wei Ying strikes up an unconventional friendship with Lan Zhan, the second son of Lan Clan Leader and one of "Twin Jades of Lan".... They accidentally discovered the secret of the Yin Metal and after following the clues, they discover that the head of the Wen clan is the evil mastermind behind a series of plots that would wreak havoc in the world. However, their attempt to foil the Wen Clan Leader's wicked plans go wrong. A series of disastrous events made Wei Ying to gave away his spiritual powers to Jiang Cheng and forced him to put his screws on "Demonic Cultivation" by practicing music, to protect himself and others...
His unmatched powers and unrestrained personality have caused almost everyone to view him as a threat and he was being ostracized to use unorthodox methods of cultivation and to protect the innocent remnants of the Wen Clan after its fall... Apart, Lan Zhan, no one was by his side at the end of the day...
And in a dramatic turn of events, Wei Ying died.
Sixteen years later, Wei Ying is revived and brought back to life by some demonic means by Mo Xuanyu... Wei Ying takes up the identity of his summoner and soon reunited with Lan Zhan and become involved in solving the mysteries of the present and finding the ultimate villain behind current conspiracies, his own death and treacherous schemes of past.
..........
Introduction to Key Characters:
Wei Ying (Xiao Zhan): Courtesy name "WuXian".... The infamous "Yiling Patriarch", a free-spirited, friendly, clever, mischievous and straightforward young man. Has a fearless, unrestrained and compassionate personality... renowned for his excellent swordsmanship before but later for unrivalled demonic powers... His spritual sword and demonic flute named as "Suibian" and "Chen Qing" respectively.
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Lan Zhan (Wang YiBo): Courtesy name "WangJi"..... Renowned as "Hanguang Jun", a cold and aloof person, but justice-loving, observant, clever and disciplined young man. A prodigy in both music and swordsmanship... He is the kind of person who doesn't attach himself to anyone easily, but once he does, he can go against everyone to protect his bosom friend... His spiritual sword and guqin named as "Bichen" and "Wangji" respectively.
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Jiang Cheng (Wang Zhuo Cheng): Courtesy name "WanYin".... Competitive, strict and passionate... sometimes ruthless and arrogant but still care for his loved ones... and for an age, when young, Wei Ying's partner-in-crimes.
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Wen Ning (Yu Bin): Courtesy name "Qiong Lin"... Well known as "Ghost General"... A grateful and loyal person... He is actually a very sweet and loving person but fate never do good to such type of people....
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Jin Guang Yao (Zhu Zan Jin): Got a title of "Liangfang Zun" and also known as "Meng Yao". The illegitimate son of Clan Leader Jin.... Loving, kind and humble on surface but deep down equally manipulative, shrewd, cruel and scheming.
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Nie Huai Sang (Ji Li): Second Young Master and later Leader of Nie Clan... Timid, carefree and fun-loving but truly slick and cunning from inside.
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Wen Qing (Meng Zi Yi): A well-known physician of Wen Clan... a great friend and grateful person... Skilled in swordsmanship and her medical skills are unparalleled.
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Acting:
The whole cast was new to me and I admit, the acting by the whole cast is just marvelous... Mostly artists had not much of acting experience that time, so took time to get into the characters but once they did, they gave remarkable performances... One can feel their development and improvement easily... and can't help but praising their excellent abilities from the bottom of heart....
I had never watched a drama with Xiao Zhan or Wang YiBo before this but now I am a fan of Zhan and YiBo and many of the actors worked in this drama.
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My Impressions:
Wei Ying and Lan Zhan really got my heart and I have no words to explain how my much I loved these two characters. Opposite personality like fire and ice but best friends and loyal to each other.
When Wei Ying died, he regretted his decisions because at the end of the day, he couldn't save any of them he wanted to protect and felt guilty and responsible for all those deaths.
On the other hand, Lan Zhan regretted his decisions to not support Wei Ying from very start and couldn't save him when he wanted to protect and support him.
But.. when life gave them another chance to make up for their regrets... they cherished each other 'cause Wei Ying didn't have anyone who trusted him except Lan Zhan... and Lan Zhan didn't have someone like Wei Ying who understood him the most...
Jiang Cheng , Wen Qing and Wen Ning were strong but really pitiful and I don't hate Jiang Cheng, he did everything for Wei Ying he could, despite not knowing his purpose/reason of choosing the demonic path, but gave up when he lost his whole family after the death of his sister.
Jin Guang Yao proved that villains are not born but made... I don't hate him for what he did to his father 'cause that serves him right but that does not give him right to make others' life miserable who have never hurted him.I'm surprised to see Nie Huai Sang's real abilities....the way he managed to take his revenge, left the viewer in shock. All the juniors SiZhui, JingYi, RuLan and others were pretty hilarious and amazing....
Xiao XingChen and Song ZiChen were like the shadows of Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, but life didn't give them another chance and I really hate Xue Yang for parting them, though he regretted his actions, but now there was no use for it....
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OSTs:
OSTs are heavenly... the beautiful lyrics defines the characters' personality in a poetic way... Wei Ying's flute with Lan Zhan's guqin are such an unparalleled match. The ending theme "Unrestrained" is repeating on my playlist and I can't get enough of it.
"Brew a cup of life and death's joy and grief, to honour a young man;
The bright moon is still the same, so there is no need for sadness..
Why not soar high and free as a bird with the winds and waves;
And sing this one song together to the world..
And sing this one song to the world.."
~ Unrestrained
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Pace of Story and Life Lesson:
Its pace is slow in starting but it picks up after episode 8 really well and keep the viewer hooked to it till the very end...
The main lesson I learnt from this drama is "the world only knows to shift the blame no matter how much they wronged a person, they just found some good reasons and a common target to shift the blame from one to another and never feel sorry for anyone, so do whatever you want to do without concerning the world and be true to yourself."....
"Died at the Nightless City..
Who would believe that the young man told no lies?
For justice and for a promise I took up the flute and gave up the sword...
The rumours go ahead of me..
What's the point of arguing that my loyalty is still the same?
Everything in the world involves a thousand people, with a thousand opinions and a thousand faces....."
~ Song Ends with Chen Qing (Wei WuXian)
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Recommendation:
It's a 10 star drama for me without a doubt...
I am totally satisfied with the ending but still wish for a season 2...
If you are not watching The Untamed, you are at loss buddy...you are missing a whole beautiful journey...and such a masterpiece.
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There is a horrible trope in C-Fantasy that I simply do not understand, and that's when the antagonists are WAY too powerful. It is so bad in The Untamed that it literally stopped my suspension of disbelief. The first like 25 episodes are all centered around a mcguffin that is totally pointless to the antagonists because they are already more powerful than all the protagonist clans combined. There is literally one antagonist who kills entire clans for fun.... by himself! There is another antagonist that can completely take away your "magical" powers, not that it matters, because most of the time (after about episode 2 at least) they rarely use them. The magic killing guy is apparently the most powerful marshal artist to ever exist in the history of all time as well. Oh and by the way, both these antagonists are lackeys. They're not even high ranking members in the antagonist clan. Not that the protagonist clans put up much of a fight. Every scene shows the other clans in marshal training, and yet they have no defenses or defensive strategies in place. They don't even have look-out's, because the bad guys just show up in the middle of their towns every time. This is even after they know the bad guys are coming. It's like the author/ writers didn't try to make the marshal aspect of the story interesting or even believable.
The plot doesn't follow any form of logical path or reasoning, everything that happens only happens because the plot needs it to, and that's just bad writing. Which is really a shame because the characters are really interesting and I really wanted to enjoy their story without being constantly pulled out of it by the asinine plot. The acting and production value are top notch as well. I really wanted this to be good but the writers let me down, and that's just sad.
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Worth the watch!
I work as a professor and researcher for a university in my country, and I specialize in media and film criticism. I was doing research on Queer Media one night, when the internet rabbithole led me to reading about Chinese media censorship. Turns out censorship in China is quite intensive, especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ content. The boiling point came during the airing of the massively successful "Addicted (originally entitled Heroin)" series, which was so controversial that it not only had to suffer massive scene cuts, but its last three episodes were pulled off air and removed from official streaming sites. The lead actors were banned from doing events together, being photographed in the same frame, or even seen on the same stage. A recent interview with one of the leads, Timmy Xu, revealed that he lost job opportunities and suffered intense bullying for YEARS after doing the project (thankfully he and Johnny Huang, the other lead, are now successful stars in China so they managed to turn that around).This was around the time when BL was gaining popularity in inner circles, but was still considered a laughing stock by mainstream media. Fortunately, BL is now gaining the recognition it deserves, and we thank the dedication of the LGBTQ+ community for its advocacy of representation
So my curiosity led me to researching more about Chinese media, and I stumbled upon this BL novel that was taking their country by storm, called Mo Dao Zu Shi (translated as "Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation"). It was about the power politics of clans of "exorcists" (or cultivators) set in a fictional point in Chinese history. The novel was adapted into a manhua, an audibook, and then a donghua, and it was BEAUTIFUL. It's got everything I associate with my favorite shows: fantastical history-based clothing, gratuitous violence, intense swordfights and lots of murder-happy people, demons and zombies galore, people randomly flying and leaping off of roofs, two leads who can do the smolder (at each oth--, um, never mind). The novel, and the manhua is canonically tagged as BL, which depicts either subtextual or contextual homosexual relationships. These kinds of texts are heavily censored and disallowed by the Chinese government, and the manhua barely makes it past the censorship (they cut a lot of the story out for this to work).
Given its politically-charged nature and the sensitivity of the plot, I thought the animated series would be a dud. But what blew my mind was they didn't just adapt it into a highly-successful, two-season donghua, they made a live action of it.
A LIVE ACTION of a BL novel. In China. The manhua even had to censor kissing scenes in the original text because it was "perverse"... then they hired actual people to play these characters. And the live-action (titled "Untamed") became the highest grossing Asian drama of 2019, and one of the highest-rated Asian dramas of all time. It is also one of the few Asian series to be distributed on international streaming sites.
And they managed to pull it off by passing it off as a "bromance" with lots of incidental chemistry. A splattering of intense eye contact and shy smiling. And the two leads called each other soulmates and saved each other a lot. But ya' know, no biggie censorship gods, just distract them with blood and death and zombie demons. I mean, a show about shi warriors stabbing half-dead cretins could never be gay, uh uh, no way.
They cast Chinese idols Xiao Zhan (from Chinese boyband X-Nine) and Wang Yibo from Kpop Idol group UNIQ) to play the two leads, and you can tell that they put their hearts and souls into it. There was never any awkwardness between their interactions on-screen, their acting was subtle but flawless, and they managed to convince viewers of their intense yearning through microexpressions and body language. The actors are very talented (especially the lead, Xiao Zhan) and showed a deep understanding of their roles. Behind-the-scenes footage of their discussions with the directors revealed that the whole cast, including the leads, considered these characters as "boyfriends", they used "love", "longing", and "heartbreak" as character motivations, and during the tragic cliff scene, Wang Yibo was apparently instructed by the director to act as though he had lost "the most precious, most valuable thing in his life", and he conveyed it so well.
Aside from the acting, with the budget it received, I was amazed at how well-made the whole production was. Each clan was given its own beautifully-crafted set design, complete with castles, communities, and forests. They had their own defining costumes, symbols, weapons, interactions, governments and sets of rules. They featured fantastical beasts, a bit of Taoist philosophy, a bit of Chinese history, and a whole score of family values. The villains were also given their own subplots (one villain in particular, Xue Yang, received two important story arcs throughout the series). The whole thing is 50 episodes, but at the end of it all I wanted MORE. I couldn't get enough of this fantastical world they've crafted. It deserves a Game of Thrones-style length of eight seasons, with Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji just going on night hunts together with their son A-Yuan (spoiler alert!!!), battling evil spirits and beasts while running the cultivation world as a power couple.
It was a well-portrayed homosexual love story that managed to breeze through the censorship boards, conveyed with acts of service, kindness, yearning, patience, and unconditional love and sacrifice. Goddamn revolutionary GENIUSES. I am so down. Go off you beautiful monsters. I am such a fan.
This series means so much for the BL genre, especially for critics who tag it only as low-budget, clichè productions for people who fetishize boys having sex. So it's definitely worth the watch. 10/10 solid.
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This drama is a precious gift that is going to be a timeless classic in future!
Adjectives like Enthralling, mesmerizing, captivating, intriguing , entertaining ,magnificent, lavish & utterly addictive can describe this gem of a drama. It is a precious gift that is going to be a timeless classic in future! This fifty-episode drama take us on a powerful path of complex storylines and heart-wrenching longing. It’s a story of self-sacrifice and betrayal, abandonment and retribution, guilt and forgiveness, and the acceptance of responsibility for actions. Choosing to stand together for love and for what is right no matter the consequences; living with regret, and living despite regret.Story: Let me start out by saying initial few episodes might seem convoluted and confusing, but as you keep delving deeper into the drama, you will notice the fabulous story being unraveled & unfolded. It is an intricately woven tale of family, friendship, resurrection, retribution and everlasting love. The story is amazing! There is not one dull moment in the entire story. Overall, the story feels very compassionate. It wants you to love the majority of the characters and it sympathizes with the audience’s pain when those characters suffer. It rewards deeper thought. It rewards the viewer for caring about the characters, which is something I’ve really needed this year specifically, when it feels like so many shows have been punishing their audience for caring about the characters.
Characters: Each character and not just the two main ones, have been given so much care and you actually feel all of them experience growth from the events that transpire as the series progresses. Each characters are very complex and has so much depth, not to mention how emotional some scenes can be and yet, the actors managed to nail every single one of them. From Wei Ying with his dazzling smile and yet crushed with grief at his final moments, Lan Zhan with his poker face but softness and concern that you can see in the right moment, and even Meng Yao with his nuances.
Acting: Wei Ying and Lan Zhan is thoroughly justified –kudos to actors! Xiao Zhan really is the best Wei Ying and Wang Yibo the best Lan Zhan. They were born to play these characters. They are perfectly cast and do complete justice to their respective characters. Every emotion they portray is realistic. You laugh with them, you cry with them, you feel their pain, their vulnerability, most finely nuanced performances. The chemistry between them is so palpable that you forget they are just a couple of young Chinese actors. Xiao Zhan's acting is so versatile, he brings out the lead character's many many layers with such efficiency, it gives me goosebumps. Wang Yibo on the other hand is pure LOVE. His subtle expressions speak volumes for the character, making him irresistible. And the two of them get along so well, and their love just oozes out of every scene they share. It would be not fair if I don’t mention the contribution of all the supporting actors-who are all simply marvelous and are top quality assets to the whole plot! Alongside becoming completely invested in the two main characters, you start to love nearly the whole cast.
Costumes: When it comes to costumes and props, the producers aren’t here to play. Each character’s costumes have their own unique style, it depends on what state they are in the story. The costumes have around 5-6 major themes, each corresponding to the clan they belong in.
Cinematography: The breath-taking cinematography captured all its beauty, but still focused on the story. I just really love how they directed the cinematography, as it’s one of the elements that keeps the audience watching. The cinematographers took their time in making this element perfect.
Fighting scene: Fight scenes are common scenes throughout the drama and they happen to be some of the scenes I enjoy a lot. I have no exact word of explaining this, but gravity physics is different in this show. The fight scenes are not your typical sword-to-sword fight scene because there’s no fight scenes as graceful as the ones in The Untamed. No matter how gruesome it is, it will always be graceful, as if they’re dancing instead of fighting but somehow still give the vibes of suspense, aggress, and domination.
Music: The music for this drama is ridiculously beautiful. Each of the main characters have their own song. The composition of all the songs are amazing. The lyrics of all the songs tells you the stories of the characters. I love Wuji but to be honest, I love all of them. It’s hard to pick one over another, that’s how good they are. The background music is very melancholy (in a good way). One will want to keep going back to listen to them just to calm down or distress or even just to go down the memory lane of this beautiful drama. Every single one of them is strong enough to give different emotional vibes.
Finally the BL part of the show: The production team seems to have fought for the most romantic interpretation of the show it could get away with. They’re brilliant. Even without stating the relationship as explicitly romantic, this drama managed to show how pure the love between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan is. There are simply too many amazing scenes with them where their relationship transcends the limitations allowed in the script, as seen in the actor’s choices when delivering not only lines, but body language choices and implications behind movement in general. It shows that love can be shown and felt without saying the words “I love you,” and sometimes it’s trailing off sentences that imply more than they are able to say. The Untamed heightens every interaction between them, cementing the idea for me that this is one of the most epic love stories I have ever witnessed. It isn’t every day you see a slow burn like this, and I for one, cherished every moment of it.
I cannot stress this enough: the efforts put into this show is amazingly huge and well thought over. It’s not that type of fantasy drama where they’re just in one studio and overuses greenscreen. The Untamed really went on their way filming on different settings, making well-designed costumes, composing music, and making fiction feel real to make the fantasy its best version. This is one of the many reasons why CQL/The Untamed is one of the best dramas ever. It’s because the efforts of the producers, cast, and anyone who contributed to this drama is impossible to disregard.
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WHY DIDNT I WATCH THIS EARLIER ?
This is the first drama I've written a review for bc I really want ppl to know how amazing this drama is, if ur wondering if u should watch it, DO IT NOW.I don't know how to describe the story but it got me hooked from the first ep, I was hesitating when I saw it was 50 ep but now I wished it was more, I would watch it even if it was 1000, I'm not even exaggerating.
The music is mesmerizing. I loved all the songs, especially wuji the theme song. I got them all on my Spotify playlist and I even memorize the lyrics.
The cast is PERFECT..I cant imagine anyone else for the roles. The chemistry was everything even tho they were just looking at each other.
Ngl, I can't say there wasn't a moment I wasn't bored. I skip a few scenes but ONLY a few scenes..each and every ep was worth watching and got me hooked till the end.
I've never read the novel, manhwa or watched the donghwa but I watch and read every version bc of this cdrama.
TU introduced me wuxia, xianxia and danmei but Idk if thats a good thing bc when I watch other xianxia or danmei, I would think 'meh, the untamed is better' or 'its good but it can't beat the untamed'.. i don't think if I'll ever get out of my TU era, ig I'll just keep on rewatching it till I get bored, which I prolly won't 😅
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Best Drama Ever! PERIOD
I am in love with this drama. I've already watched it three times & I still can't get enough.Although the drama does not follow the novel in its entirety ( due to censorship laws), it still has a beauty of its own. I love how the creators depict the relationship between the two main leads. The way they interact, the way they look at each other, the slightest touch, in every word left unsaid, the affection shines through. It's the purest form of love I have ever seen on screen.
The drama is engaging from the beginning and progressively gets better and better. It's such an emotional rollercoaster. While some parts will leave you in awe, frustration, & utter heart-wrenching sadness, others will make you squeal, Literally! And it's not one of those dramas where you only care about the main leads while the other characters are just there to fill in. Every single character has a unique element to them & they all add value to the drama.
The casting is perfect. I wouldn't have it any other way.
The music WOW. I highly recommend you check out the theme song for Lan Wanji's character with subtitles(if you don't understand Chinese) and of course the main theme song for the drama.
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You should be brave and patient to watch it.
It was my first time that i watched wuxia dramas. At first i thought that i would Dropped it easily but my idea was false and not mature enough.Story: The story begins with really sad scene and it'll make you say wow. Wei wuxian says: Lanzhan let me go(my English is not as well as you guys sorry) and after that his bro comes and he kills him and after that he fells off form the Cliff. This part of story made me cry whole time and I was like : No what's happened it's the last scene of drama that came first of drama? And these thoughts surrounded all over my braincells. From episode 2 the main story starts and you will understand why he is alive and what happened to him. Ep 15,16,17,18 are such an important episodes and after that he borns again. The story is full of plot twists and again make you say wow :) mostly I liked the comedy side between Lanzhan and Wei wuxian. Why i said you should be brave and patient? Because some scenes make you sad or uncomfortable. Also it has 50 episodes .So you should be capable to watch it completely and don't drop it asap.
Acting: All of the actors and actresses in this drama were good enough and they are all professional. Emotional parts was acted well without any mistakes. So if you want to watch it, it is really worthy.
Song: BGMs( background musics) are good and pretty soft for listening so search it at Google and listen. But know it guys my comment is really different from yours.
Rewatch value: to tell you the truth, I watched it 3 times and again it's not enough for me. Not only the casts but also whole the story is valuable to watch it. When i rewatched it i already knew what was the whole story but again i said: then what happened and etc.
I hope you guys find what you love and like most in the world:)
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Exploring the themes of The Untamed (looking beyond the BL / Bromance)
This review is way overdue. I've just watched it the second time and appreciate it even more.I'm not going to talk about the BL / Bromance aspects of it, not because I don't love it, but because I think it's already well covered by all the other reviews and comments. Instead, I would urge non-BL / Bromance fans to look past the production value and nominally BL / Bromance label of this drama and appreciate the well-crafted story that has intricately woven themes of morality, good vs. evil, and exploration of various human psyches. (NOTE: All quotes are paraphrased from memory because I'm lazy..)
Good vs. Evil - The oldest theme in human history, and as of late, we've certainly seen more explorations of dubious morality. Obviously the biggest representative of this is Wei Wuxian, our 'anti-villain' / 'hero.' From WWX stepping in to help various peers during the campaign against Wens, to when he saved the Wens, there's a constant question of what is good vs. evil. Sure, Wen Ruohan and Wen Chao are pretty standard 'bad guys', but they are not the primary plot point. Instead, the more important plot point was the treatment of the Wens after the fact. And subsequently, WWX himself. The drama / novel is constantly questioning what is right and what is wrong, and you can see the gradual descent into gray morality through the lens of the righteous Lan Zhan's interactions with WWX. The other aspect of this is that everything is always multifaceted. At the end of the day, no one is fully good or evil. A person can be good to one person, and evil to another. Jin Guangyao's speech at the end sheds a lot of light on this theme. He's done many terrible things, but the one thing he's never done is intentionally harm Lan Xichen, because he truly does love / respect him.
Righteousness - From the top of the hierarchy to the bottom, every single person beats their chests in righteousness. Obviously, the biggest commentary on this is that all these people scream righteousness when it's convenient for them. They leveraged WWX's abilities when it was in their favor, and screamed righteousness when it wasn't. But what I love more about this story is that *every* character has made mistakes over this, including WWX. The cultivation public screaming righteousness over killing WWX is ironic, but what's more subtle is the commentary on WWX's own mistakes in righteousness. Although it's certainly not his fault that the Wens decided to massacre his sect, and it's not his intent to have murdered Jin Zixuan, the fact is that he might have been a cause. This was mirrored in his remark to Wen Zhuliu, the core-shattering bodyguard of Wen Chao's, when he asked the latter, 'Why does your desire to repay kindness [to the Wens] require other innocents to pay?' Even though Wen Zhuliu stays by Wen Chao's side in a righteous desire to repay a kindness, his actions do bring harm to other innocents. Another foil to all of this is of course the story of Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan. They were the epitome of righteous and upstanding, and certainly no one (sane) can blame them for the tragedy that unfolded. Yet reality is a bitter world and this drama showcased very well that your intent to do good will not always be repaid in kindness.
Mob justice - The is extremely critical given China's cultural background. China, and other Asian countries, is a very community -oriented and also hierarchical culture. Deference is woven into the language itself, and so the impact of peer judgment, pressure, and the stakes of position in hierarchy are greatly heightened. Throughout the drama, you constantly see random side characters or strangers making comments. Part of it is to give way to narration and share information with the audience while keeping them fully immersed, but part of it is to illustrate the toxicity and lethality of the mob mentality. Wen Qing's farewell to him basically sum it up. "Whether or not you actually cast the curse is no longer important. They've already determined you to be the perpetrator. It doesn't matter if you even have evidence that you're *not* the perpetrator. They'll find an excuse anyway." The lesson here is that opinions, especially those of a mob, can have very real and very drastic consequences.
Cycle of power, corruption of power - Although the first half of the drama consists of the battle agains the Wens, who are your typical bad, the more important conflict is what follows. And I love that they portray the multiple cycles of power here, and show that it isn't just one person, or one clan, but the position that ultimately 'corrupts'. And they showcase this not just through the 'viillain's like Wen family and Jin Guangyao, but a little bit through WWX himself. Although WWX's intentions were always pretty good and certainly more fair than the other two's, the fact is that he also grew too confident in his ability to control a situation.
Self-serving bias and hypocrisy - This is laughably apparent in all the mob justice mentality. And WWX of course directly pointed all of this out in his monologue atop the roofs of Nightless City. When someone used underhanded tactics to surprise attack him, and then he in return killed the person, the mob once again cried injustice. And he remarks through angry tears, "Why do you not ask who instigated this?" and goes on to finally remark, "Oh I understand now. If you attack me, it's justice. If I in return defend myself by attacking back, it's a crime." Some more subtle moments reflecting this theme, are when Jin Guangshan makes up excuses to retain Xue Yang's life. "Who personally saw him commit these crimes, hm?" which is a stark contrast to when they were persecuting the remnants of the Wen clan, and said "Just because no one saw them commit the crimes, doesn't mean they didn't!" And of course reiterated in WWX's monologue where he snubbed to an outspoken bystander, "Well if you're claiming I can't prove I'm not the perpetrator, what about you? What evidence do you have that you're not the perpetrator?"
Difference in human psyches - What I love most about the drama / story is how well fleshed out all the characters are. WWX's character is most obvious to us, given he's the main. However, Lan Zhan's gradual development of his morals through his understanding of and interactions with WWX is brilliantly gradual. Given his personality, you can fully see how his mind works. And this isn't limited to the 'good' guys. Both Jin Guangyao and Xue Yang, although they can be considered villains, are disturbingly real in their motivations and way of thinking. Both of them clearly lack a form of empathy and value their own well-being entirely over those of others. While they are irrational, we can see how they formed their logical basis for making all the decisions they did.
Privilege - Privilege is also a huge theme here, as highlighted by Jin Guangyao's speech at the end. Both him and Su She were not born to privilege, and so way people treated them from the get go were different. For Jin Guangyao, even though he shares the same father as Jin Zixuan, one son was favored and the other was kicked down the stairs. Even if this doesn't excuse any of them of their crimes, the fact remains that they had to endure more hardships than people like Jin Zixuan and the Lan brothers. Any respect, they had to claw to keep. And of course, a bit more subtle relation here is WWX's usage of the demonic arts. Ultimately, the theme here is, if people have the ability to choose, who wouldn't choose the 'proper' path? Who in their right mind would intentionally choose the criminal path?
Satisfaction with the unknown - Finally, there is a lesson in letting go of the need to know everything. You're never going to find all the answers in life, and a lot of times, you're not going to know a person completely.
Honestly, there are so many good lessons and examples here, but I'm trying not to write an analysis essay here. While I *love* the romance and relationship development between Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian, I think focusing on just that is grossly undervaluing the drama. I've not really seen another drama with such a good balance of characters, story plotline, and story themes.
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