(´･ - ･｀) an emotional rollercoaster

unlike others, i didn't wait for the wolf for three years with high anticipation, so i picked the drama up without any expectations. if you're interested in a plot-driven drama with a complex story, you might want to skip because the wolf mainly focuses on the characters & a lot of back and forth drama.

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story + production: 8.0/10

a bittersweet and tragic love story between our main characters, lang zai (wolfie) played by wang talu/darren wang, and xing'er, played by li qin, that takes us on a journey of heartbreak, betrayal, and sacrifice. note that this isn't a drama that centers around an intricate plot but more on the relationships and interactions between the characters. while the plot was unique in its own way, it wasn't extraordinary and without flaws. due to china's censorship, deleted scenes and poor writing, there are some points of inconsistency in the story and within the characters themselves.

there are weak villians with prolonged misunderstandings and the drama shouldn't have relied on them to carry the show. for some viewers, this may become frustrating and redundant if you aren't already invested in the lead's relationship. however, the general pacing of the story was not bad! it slows down at the middle (roughly around episodes 30 - 36) but picks up again. i personally wasn't bothered too much by any of the above and thought the last 12 episodes began to make up for the mess. despite its flaws, i enjoyed it for what it was.

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acting: 9.0/10

the cast really did the best they could with what they were given... i don't know where to begin, lol. as much as i enjoyed it, objectively, the writing was just not good,,, this is what created inconsistency and stunted much of the character development in this series.

☆ chu youwen/ lang zai (darren wang): darren was undeniably the perfect choice for the role of wolf boy + prince bo. i was impressed by his acting and thought he did a good job at portraying the complexity of his character (which people may disagree with) and i think his appearance helped embody his character, lol. hes very expressive, especially in showing emotions through his eyes. you could feel the hostility from him as prince bo and the inner turmoil he had in his loyalty to the emperor and how he struggled to hold onto his humanity, but also the kind-hearted & pure person he was as wolf boy. one of my favorite scenes of darren's "eye-acting" was in episode 19! i wanted more wolf boy tbh lol

☆ ma zhaixing (li qin): theres a lot to say about xing'er as a character and you either love or hate her, but i think i'm in the minority here because i liked her... first, li qin is really talented and beautiful (´･ᴗ･`♡) and has a way of portraying naive characters who don't feel overbearing. as the drama progresses, her acting definitely gets better! its understandable that people thought she was frustrating but tbh i kind of liked that she was very human and made mistakes and had her flaws. also, she was forced to change, traumatized, constantly lied to from the people around her, and had everything taken from her. i don't blame her for desperately holding on. for many reasons, whether it was their stubbornness and flaws, wolf boy and mzx were a good match for each other. the final couple episodes had me crying & i wish we could have seen them happy together on wolf hunt mountain. you too start to wish that they could just live the simple life they've always wanted to together without all the agony (´･_･｀)

☆ ji chong (xiao zhan): second lead syndrome for many and a lovable character although i'll admit that i didn't get sls this time since i felt prince bo & xing'er had stronger chemistry! this and the untamed weren't the first dramas i saw him in, it was actually o!me (2017 was the year of xz never getting the fl lol) but he did great in his first big role as ji chong. you can definitely see how much he has progressed from the wolf to the untamed.

and honorable mention for yao ji (xin zhi lei) because she was a great character, if only they didn't (so obviously) cut out so much of her storyline.

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music: 9.0/10

i really enjoyed the ost for this drama, although some might think the opening may be out of place for a historical drama, i thought it was fitting considering its meant to be historical fantasy (the scenes of him with red eyes, turning into a wolf, the warrior wolves, etc were basically cut) the instrumental tracks were good and set the mood for the series, imo. the only song i felt neutral about and skipped was the ending.

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rewatch value: 8.5/10

to be honest, i rarely rewatch things but i found myself going back to watch certain clips and episodes pretty often. i would rewatch this in full because there are a lot of touching/captivating scenes, especially the ones that built tension with silence (i.e: the bridge scene where he catches the perfume satchet!)

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overall: 9.0/10 (but its really an 8.5 lol)

tbh ..... i've seen way worse dramas rated higher than the wolf, and to me i think its a fair 8.0 - 8.5 but i have emotional attachment/bias lol if you are put off by what may be a constant push and pull situation, it definitely may not be for you. however i liked this messy sacrificial romance and was invested in their relationship so i enjoyed it. there are plenty of mixed reviews, but viewers should decide for themselves. overall, i'm glad i gave this a watch and the acting is what made me pull through even though the execution of the story is average.

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