This review may contain spoilers
Why it's a 10
So I finally figured out what makes this so good for me.This is a perfect exploration of the nature of good and evil. It subverts expectations by its predecessors by actually giving a damn about its subject matter. It challenges us to think critically about what is good, what is evil, and how these things are defined. I'm trying to not add spoilers so I'm just gonna chill instead of ranting too far. Who knows, maybe I'll come back and have a spoilery rant-type review later. But for now, I just want to say if you love power struggles, writers that challenge their readers, and a story that doesn't shove morality into your face but still makes you think about it, then this is the show for you.
Now, yes the source material is problematic. I think it is important to address that. Is the story/show perfect? Not exactly, but it's a 10 for me just because of how much heart went into this struggle.
Edit 9/20/2021: I was thinking about this drama again and I just NEEDED to further analyze why this is so good.
I will never get over The Untamed. It almost makes me want to write an essay on it. Like the more I think about the story, the more I'm like "wow they did that. they really did that." Like Wei Wuxian is such an important representation of fighting systems of oppression and being true to oneself. And Lan Wangji is so precious as someone who both wants to believe in the system he comes from, and realizing that justice is something that must always be critiqued and not simply accepted by sources of authority. Jiang Chen is important because he helps us understand some of the reasons why people accept bad things even when they mean to do good. And Guang Yao's brutal end and his unexpected humanity reminds us that even evil has love and affection. It forces us to question morality and the systems we participate in, while also addressing the complexity of life and the people in it. Ahhhhh and now I'm crying WHY AM I CRYING AUGHHHH THIS STORYYYYYYY
And Guang Yao's humanity is also important, because it supports the thesis of the show. Good and evil is something we must question, and blindly supporting something as good or evil can result in evil itself. By showing humanity in Guang Yao, it forces us to realize that he also contained good traits, that of loyalty, protection, friendship, and reminds us that simply defining him as evil can create its own problems. Just as Guang Yao convinced everyone to look at the Wen Clan as evil for his own gain, viewing Guang Yao as wholly evil is an inviation for others to take advantage of evil for evil purposes. Instead of painting Guang Yao as wholly evil, we are forced to find what parts of him are evil. And even then, we must question whether actions themselves are evil, just as Wei Wuxian does when he uses taboo magic to save others, a kind of magic wildly considered evil.
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the untamed, in terms of adaptation, is really, really good. it does change some plot elements from the book, but the story isn't compromised at all and i would argue that it's even better than the book in some points (e.g. jiang cheng's characterisation man i love that guy, as well as the roles of the female characters)
the cast was selected really well, especially jin guangyao and jin ling (i'm still not over how much they resemble each other like. what), and they all have great chemistry with each other
the soundtrack is also 10/10, i cry every time i hear shijie's theme and wuji/wangxian is beautiful
drawbacks are that the cgi and editing is kind of bad (though i'm told that's pretty much to be expected from c-drama?) - the first scene lowkey made me want to stop watching right then and there but i fell in love with xiao zhan (wei wuxian) pretty much immediately so i kept watching, which is one of the better decisions i've made in life. also props to wang yibo for his portrayal of lan wangji because communicating primarily with your eyes and microexpressions has got to be hard, but he did it so so well
when i rewatch i might skip or fast-forward through some of the less enjoyable episodes, but overall it was a really good experience and i'll definitely be rewatching! they did a really good job of adapting the novel and showing wwx and lwj's relationship without being explicitly romance
to the person who's reading this, if you have any recommendations for drama that don't have romance or romance isn't the main focus, drop them in the comments! preferably c-drama because i really need to improve my chinese lol
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The best❤️❤️❤️
Start to end I just cried, even the happy moments, saddest moments, y to explain the background song is enough ... So peeps ready with a bucket to cry a loads.I just want to frame mls smile and hang it in my room, such a beautiful and calming smile.
One of the best drama I ever watched , even without any romance mls glare was enough ...more thn enough to make me blush like anything.
This was my first historical drama, I thought of give a try after reading the manga and that was the best decision I ever did. It is motivating me too watch more historical drama.
Even though I am not sure whether I will enjoy like this but yeah this one is going to haunt me like anything.
BEST HISTORICAL DRAMA❤️❤️❤️❤️
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Words cannot describe my love for this drama.
I don't write reviews on here, but this show is just different.. I wouldn't change a thing about it.I was putting off watching this drama for a long time because of its length, and the fact that's it's been censored compared to the original story, but as soon as I started it I was completely hooked. The story, the acting, the music, the sets, the costumes.. All so breathtakingly beautiful.
The cgi and special effects aren't the best but It didn't take away from the drama at all, it added to its charm.
The drama has 50 episodes, which at first seems daunting, It quickly becomes not enough. I'd happily watch another 100 episodes of this show.
The story is gripping, with new twists and turns every episode, making you question every characters motives, you connect deeply to the characters and are left heartbroken for them.
This is a show that will stick with me for a long time, if you haven't already watched it, do yourself a favour and give it a try!!
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Before I begin, I just want to give a disclaimer that while going into this drama I hadn't read the novel nor watched the Dong Hua like many other fans so this is purely based off of the drama as I had nothing to compare since I was unfamiliar with the story!
Story Plot/Pacing: The storyline was so well executed considering how complex and layered the plot really is that I really have to applaud it. For many people the beginning is confusing and slow paced, but for me personally, I never found it slow or boring. It might be the fact that this is not the first drama I’ve watched that throws you into the middle and then back tracks to explain the story. Im also just a sucker for all the cuteeee scenes when they were in school, my UWUSSSSS just gushed out LOL. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEE!!! if you are confused by the first 1-2 episodes PLEASE HOLD ON and continue watching it gets sooo much better you will not regret it! The story picks up pretty quickly and its an exciting journey, one that will really just play with all your emotions! You will cry, you will scream, you will smile soo uncontrollably, so beee prepared^^
Considering this drama being 50 episodes I went in originally questioning how it was going to play out because many other dramas I have previously watched (mostly kdramas) start off well and then just become so boring orrr dragging where I wanna pull out my hair and those are only 16 episodes….so I couldn't even imagine 50…But this drama, I was completely wrong!! The pacing was so well done, I never felt it dragging or rushed. I was hooked right from the start and I couldn't stop watching. My only critique to be honest…after watching the 50 episodes and this series multiple times i wish it was longer LOL. Like 70 episodes could've been fantastic and I think…that would've given it some room to further flesh out some details of the storyline that could've made some areas more clear to the audience that have no prior knowledge to the storyline.
ACTING/CAST: Overall, I thought the casts performance were truly impressive given the fact that many of them are new and just starting off in their acting careers. With each character having very distinct personalities and qualities, they brought their characters to life to give us a truly remarkable performance!! You loved some characters with your whole heart and you've hated characters with a burning passion…and that to me shows how great their acting was in this drama. But namely I would like to mostly focus on the two main leads, Xiao Zhan as Wei Wuxian and Wang Yibo as Lan Wangji! I originally only knew of Yibo going into this drama and wanted to watch this to support him but little did I know…that as soon as Xiao Zhan came on screen I fell in love so hard with his character…the fact that he talked 90% of this drama (bless him…because that is alot of words to remember LOL) and was able to execute every emotion so perfectly and naturally through his body and facial expression was truly remarkable. I felt every emotion through him….when he ached….I was aching, when he was happy I was happy. To see his character change from this playful innocent teenage boy to a serious, vengeful, pained character was truly remarkable. And I will forever be a fan of his now and watch his future works!! Yibo as Lan Wangji, having the completely opposite scenario where he literally has no lines lol, was able to express his emotions so beautifully with just his facial expressions. Like many have said….just by watching his eyes you can see all the different emotions he felt throughout this drama, the feeling of mourning, longing….loving….etc….Truly beautiful, that alone is hard to achieve. They were both truly made for the roles of WWX & LWJ.
OST SOUNDTRACK: I cant even begin to talk about the OST. I LOVE THIS SOUNDTRACK SO MUCH, and I am still till this day listening to them on replay on my apple music. The soundtrack, with or without lyrics complimented the drama and storyline so well. The emotions you felt while watching the drama still linger while listening to these songs, even though most of them are not really played in the drama. Wuji will forever be that iconic song!!
REWATCH/RECOMMEND VALUE: As someone who has already watched it 3 times….and probably more time in the future, i think you know my answer already haha. YES YES YES 1000000% would rewatch this. Ive always been a little hesitant when dedicating my time to watch Chinese dramas specifically because Im not the biggest fan of historical/fantasy dramas and the amount of episodes ALWAYSSSS intimidated me….40+ episodes >< i never thought I could do it…especially since Kdramas with 16-20 episodes alot of times would drag on and bore me….but The Untamed really ignited my motivation to watch more Chinese dramas and I cant wait to watch more in the future!!
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This review may contain spoilers
This is the best show ever!
I literally love this show its such an amazing show that deserves a round of applause! Like the emotion that the actors put into all the scenes were perfect wang yibo and xiao zhan captured the image of lan zhan and wei ying perfectly! Especially with the death scene of wei ying! I could feel the pain that lan zhan went through after he died! I will definently recommend this too people who really enjoy stories that don't have a lot of romance! You won't regret it! I really think that this is my favorite show ever and I will never regret saying that! I was kinda sad at first that they made this into a non bl but then i started watching it and it was actually really good!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
The Untamed - Review
The Untamed was a cool series, with quite a bit of emphasise where good isnt always and bad isnt always bad, Its about 2 boys, the book says there gay, and i think the kiss in the book. but in the series, they dont really do anything, apart from be reallly good friends, until near the end when Wei Ying tells Nan Zhan that he like him. thats the part when i finally realise they might be gay - *gasp* - and i search the novel. I realise not everyone approves of gay so perhaps that is why they changed it.Was this review helpful to you?
Honestly speaking, I wouldn't call it a masterpiece unlike to what I often see from comments. The story has flaws and the actions wasn't that good. The first three episodes were confusing and boring so I thought I should just skip - since the only thing that made me curious about the story is WXX's past which they shown on the first episode. So I skipped and watched. I decided to watch the "special" series first since it's shorter. I must say that, the best part of this drama is only up to the last part of the long flashback - WXX's past story was so addicting. It made me hooked so I decided to watch the full series (50 episodes).
I kept rewatching those flashback episodes again and again and again. I even read the novel to see the difference.
However, I still can't rewatch the episodes that came after that flashback. I feel like the writing became less intriguin and the plot was all over the place. It was boring, cringy and cliche. I couldn't help but think that the rest of the story was made only for fan service - same with the novel.
I honestly wish that the series was only about WXX's past. Those 30 episodes of flashback was worthy enough for a 10 despite its flaws - maybe could even pass for a movie.
But nevertheless I really didn't expect to get hooked to the series.
The actors did a good job. I wouldn't say their acting is perfect but they really gave life to the characters. Xiao Zhan have moments where his acting was real good. Some moments it was just so-so and some moments it wasn't really good.
His acting at first as a funny WXX wasn't really that good. You can tell he was just really trying to act something he's not used to. When he's angry - you cannot see any anger in his eyes.
But during his siege or rebellion, his acting was at it's best. He was really good in showing WWX's hatred, frustrations, pain, regret and hopelessness.
WYB - was also good. I think his characer is also hard to portray cuz he doesn't have many lines and LZ doesn't show many emotions. If played by someone else, his character will definitely look boring and cringy to watch. Although I did get bored or lost interest on LZ later on, cuz WXX took all of my attention.
I also love that they gave more scenes for the Senior sister and the siblings relationship. So you can understand why WXX love them so much.
Some people hate Wen Qing's addition scenes but imo it worked a lot - it is hard to get attached to her in the novel cuz she only appear a few times so I couldn't really feel WWX's desvatation upon their death. But in the drama, they came more human to me, it let me get attached to her and her Wen sect. So seeing how kind they were, how normal they were compared to the evil Wens made it really painful seeing what happens to them.
I did enjoyed the 30 episodes of this drama, enough to get me hooked and watch it over and over again and glad that I gave it a try.
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This review may contain spoilers
Literally the best drama to-date
I can see The Untamed staying one of my favourite dramas for years, if not, forever. The costumes are stunning and memorable, the music is addicting and the episodes create endless anticipation to find out what happens next. I originally found this drama continuously having edits made of on DouYin back in 2020 and thought the chemistry was so cute so I had to watch it for myself, and still remains my number 1 Chinese drama. All 50 episodes are worth it.Story 10/10 - The idea is so original and is filled with many plot-twists. The Untamed is one of those dramas which moves quickly but is slow enough to go into detail. I really enjoyed how each conflict was resolved quickly but all lead up to the resolution of the main conflict, being the yin iron collection and the tiger amulet. Every small detail must be remembered and observed closely as all may relate to the resolution, like easter eggs. The whole drama was a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with butterflies regarding the chemistry between the leads or tears and sorrow at respectful moments. Although I know it's not the author's fault, I do wish the censorship was less harsh as I would have loved to see an exact live action of what the novel which inspired the drama wanted to convey.
Acting/Cast 9.5/10 - I think the casting of all characters was perfect, especially the leads. They were able to play their characters well and I loved the correlation between the opposing personalities of the leads. Not only the flawless acting but I think the looks of both main leads suited their characters exactly as I would have imagined. I did think the acting of the zombie puppets in the first 2 episodes was cringe and overdone but it progressed as time went on.
Music 10/10 - I remember I was obsessed with the OST when I first heard it, it's a bit embarrassing to say but I had it on repeat on my Spotify playlist for months. I love how the OST was sung by the main lead actors Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan as it feels more personal and close to home after having watched the drama. It is overall such a pretty song with deep lyrics and my eyes tear up nearly each time. All the other music played throughout the drama is also so fitting to each situation and so beautiful.
Rewatch Value 10/10 - I think I have watched The Untamed about 3-4 times, having shared it to my family and friends who I know have enjoyed and recommended to their relations as well. My mum to this day has DouYin edits playing on her phone whilst cooking dinner on repeat and sings the OST constantly, my friends who have no interest in dramas have watched both the drama and the animated version. I think rewatching the drama is vital as it inspires a deeper view of the drama as after having watched the resolution, rewatching moments you may have forgotten about will spark connections throughout the story you may have missed.
Overall 10/10 - The story is so touching and I love dramas that make me cry as it leaves me emotionally attached. Although even as a mandarin speaker, I had to constantly search up which name of the characters referred to. I love the mix of hinted romance, comedy, mystery, thriller, superficial, martial arts and historical, all of my favourite genres combined in one. All side stories were equally as interesting and touching and I would have loved to have gotten to know each of their stories better, thankfully there being a movie regarding some of the side characters (I have yet to watch). You will not be able to get over this drama for a long, long time after watching.
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Have lost count how many times i have watched it
If you are here looking for reviews for something good to watch... this is it!Never bothered writing a review for this before, but Its beautifully done.
I have read the novels, and even though not as steamy, their expressions are priceless.
Great job from all the actors, and well, what can i say about the lead guys. Perfect!
An incredible adaptation.
The next chapters would be a welcome production .... had to re-read my books at the end, as i needed more, i couldnt leave it that way ?
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Outstanding!
Strongly advised for everyone. I've seen better dramas than this one. The performers, special effects, and plot were all excellent and breathtaking. There isn't, in my opinion, a drama as flawless as The Untamed. Though I believe the novel doesn't have a season, I'm hoping for one. The greatest synergy exists between Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo, and their bond is indescribable. A genuine friendship cares for your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being and genuinely wants the best for you in life. Many thanks to the entire cast, especially to Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan.Was this review helpful to you?
When i watch a drama, i like the music to play long enough and at the right times. This show does just that. If you also came for the bl like i did, don't leave because its bromance. You will love this show, especially if you are looking for a action bl, there aren't many. Only HIStory Trapped and Long time no see.
It takes a good story and great acting to keep me watching, i can't even watch 16 episodes. Let alone 50. This show will keep you watching. Besides, when you are done, You will never forget the characters, i'm now reading the book because of it. Its translated to English by exiled rebel scanlations.
Besides 'rise of the phoenixes' this is the only show other show i watched considering the episode count. Its really worth your time.
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