The Untamed (2019)

THE UNTAMED is a Chinese fantasy series, this series has one of the best screenwriting with the high budget production out there in the Chinese market in my point of view. I get hyped for strong characters with deep background stories and this series is spiced up with all of it. Actors did a splendid job expressing every single tear, joy and anger. Every character has their own meaning and impact in the whole story. I really loved the fact that directors gave every character to express their pain and happiness alongside with the main characters. Most Chinese dramas are long but this particular drama kept my attention straight till the very end, none of the episodes felt like a filler. This series has 50 episodes with the time period of 45 minutes each and I finished it within 2 days. Most people might not like this because this falls in the category of boy love although it does not have any actual intimacy, not even a kiss. I have never watched boy love so this was a first and I view it as two male characters who have ultimate trust and love for each other. My favourite characters are obviously the main characters Wei Ying and Lan Zhan but I find Wen Ning to be the most loving and breath of fresh air in such an intense drama. Most people might not understand the importance of Wen Ning in this drama as much as I do. I mostly felt sorry for Wei Ying at first then I studied more about Lan Zhan through other people's point of view. And I fall in love with Lan Zhan. Both characters have their own sorrows and hardships, truly beautiful characters. People have mixed views about Jiang Cheng character but for me I loved it. Brotherly love Jiang cheng has shown for Wei Ying is truly impressive and I believe what Jiang Cheng did in the battle was in the heat of the moment because if he truly wanted to kill Wei Ying he would have killed him when they met again. Anyways I truly loved this drama and this was all from my point view <3 And you will find this on Youtube and Netflix.

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The trailer showing the rooftop first fight/meet attracted my attention but the synopsis stopped me from watching. Being a romantic comedy type, I did not think this drama would be my type. With nothing else to watch, I decided to read the reviews and came across one review that rated the drama 10 and mentioned the romance and comedy in it. So I decided to give it a try. The "bromance" is more of a camaraderie relationship between the two male lead and a secondary relationship with his brother. Their love, trust and support for each other through life, death, and betrayal. It is definitely a Wuxia romance of the two cultivators. There are quite a few bloody scenes; dark sorcery; sibling love/hate; and humorous scenes. Some parts were a bit drawn out and some unnecessary. The sceneries and music were good. Overall, this drama is interest and worth the time spent. I can't get enough of the two lead actors interacting with each other; it's a beautiful camaraderie between the two and one with his brother. I binged through the series and would make a rewatch for the future.

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stan xiaoxingchen

first of all, its so sad that china has censorship. everything would've been way better if there wasnt censorship.

i gave the story a 9.5. the plot was amazing. though its very different from the novel it was based on, i didnt mind at all. there were many unexpected events. the reason i didnt give it 10/10 was because i felt bored during some scenes. also because my fav character xiaoxingchen died..

the acting/cast, i gave a 8.5. honestly, im not sure if its the actor or role but some of the scenes were kinda cringe.. i found those a bit hard to watch.

the music is like chef's kiss. my favorite track must be wuji.

i rewatched this 2 times. on the second rewatch tho, i kinda got bored and dropped it around ep 30-40.

i would say tho, the special effects werent done very well. greenscreen too.

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I watched every last one of the episodes and I watched the special edition as well, and I absolutely loved both. However, I am a bit disappointed in the fact that the writer left the chemistry between Wei WuXian and WangJi to the imagination. With a story line so great, at least a kiss between the two or a confession would have made it all the better, but then again I watched every episode and the special hoping that every scene coming up between Wei and WangJi would result in a kiss. I suppose that because of the laws in the Asian countries makes it so that a writer could only push the boundaries so much, when you have a story line that basically every body and their mama is in love with someone, their relationship should be blunt and not left to innuendos. On the upside though, I give the writer and director high praises for having made this drama because despite what I wanted to see more of, the story reflected love & loyalty and how those two things when combined could be very powerful and cause even the strictest person (WangJi) to open up his heart to a goofball like (Wei WuXIan) because he saw the inner Wei rather than what he seemed to be externally. Wang Yi Bo and Sean Xiao were superb as the main actors and their delivery of the content of the story kept me watching episode after episode despite telling myself that this would be the last episode for me that day. I also loved the relationship between Wen Ning and Wei because it reveals that even when someone has completely lost their way, that there is that one person in their life that will make them make a change for the better as evidenced by the ability of Wei to be the one person that Wen Ning would always recognized and force himself to resist doing bad things. Paul Yu is another amazing actor in my opinion because he undertook a character that was supposed to be somewhat dumbwhitted, but he made you love him because of his sincerity and being able to display that he is a lot more mentally sharp then people think he is. Overall, I LOVED this drama and would definitely watch a sequel of it!!!

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The Untamed is one of the best xianxia I've watched. There are little to no fillers, and the story is represented perfectly. Even if Chinese censorship banned BL (which sucks). They still showed "romance" through their expressions. Even if the beginning is a little confusing, it is later on explained.

Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo's acting is on point. Xiao Zhan acting as Wei Wuxian really represents his true self of clumsy, free, and selfless personality. Wang Yibo acting as Lan Wangji is just perf! Lan Wangji is kind of a tsundere at the beginning, but later on, opened up a little to Wei Wuxian. His face expression is cold and aloof, but you can see his emotions through his eyes, and even better when he's drunk. Also, the captain of our ship Lan Xichen is like legit the best brother ever.

This show doesn't have many females, but the ones that are in this show are: gorgeous, caring, and brave. Jiang Yanli has always been the mother figure for the Jiang siblings and took care of others before herself. Wen Qing always risked herself to help Wei Wuxian and to protect her only relative, her brother Wen Ning.

The OST is addicting. The songs are sung by the actors, such as Wangxiang (Unrestrained), and the character songs. Lastly, Wangxian will stay in your mind for a lot of time. Good Luck.

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A beautiful and satisfying masterpiece

I'll admit I went into this one with a bit of trepidation; I haven't watched many period pieces and the first two episodes were just confusing and loudly overacted — and the CGI was kind of bad.

Now having finished all 50 episodes, everything hits different. This is one of those dramas that I, who never rewatches things in full, would actually rewatch because there is just SO MUCH to the story. It's big-brained and even though I found myself figuring out small plots pretty quickly, it was still enjoyable to see the characters figure it out, and the final wrap-up was satisfying and mind-blowing. Essentially, this drama is intensely plot-driven, every episode moves the story forwards and even small scenes are endearing, foreshadowing, or have delightful easter eggs in them. This is one that grows on you over the episodes and sticks with you forever.

There are so many characters but that just adds to the beauty of it; upon rewatch you see every character differently, you notice their habits, you revisit their backstories, and more. The character development and personalities for everyone are so natural, and this drama perfectly depicts morally gray areas. Every single character plays their part in the story and they do it so well.

I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the two leads especially, who are such intriguing characters and have such fleshed-out stories and personalities. Thank GOD for such intelligent and communicative characters, who actually figured things out to move the plot forwards instead of having things occur by happenstance.

And yes, it's censored but they did such of a good job of showing the WangXian relationship implicitly; the chemistry was there, and there are just so many little hints (visual symbols, motifs, quotes) that make the slow burn just that much better.

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I'm Captivated and Stunned by Every Aspects of The Untamed

When I watched the untamed. I can't hate somebody in this drama. The story is well developed. Everything that happen in this drama have a reason behind them. That's why I can't even think "why not like this. Why not like that". Everything happen for a reason. I just can't feel mad or regret for this drama. I cried a lot because of the story is really touching and beautiful. It's all about loyalty, understanding, friendship, family, true-hearted. Oh gosh I can't move on.

I really love the casts. Not just because they're all good looking but they also reflects every character really well. They're suitable for the roles.

I'm a person that don't like to rewatch a drama/a movie/an anime/a series because I need a meaning. I don't think it's necessary. And I easily get bored.

But for The Untamed. I will absolutely rewatch it. Because I will always miss every beautiful moment in this drama. I've found a meaning and a reason to rewatch that I can't explain by words. This drama worth it.

Thank you for the pre-production, production and post-production team! You're a great team! And The Untamed is Masterpiece. No wonder the rating is high.

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Just amazing.....

When I first watched it, I was extremely confused. I did thought about dropping out but since this drama is so overly rated, I continued and it was the best decision I ever made. After I finished watching this drama, I had SUCH a hard time letting go of this lol. I continued to watch a bunch of clips and behind the scenes vids after I finished the drama. This drama also made me fell in love with Xiao Zhan! I can’t wait for The Oath of Love with Yang Zi as well!!
Acting- 10/10! Some people say Wang Yibo’s acting was bad but since his role was really hard to act, I’ll still give it a 10/10. If other actors played Wang Yibo’s role, I still would think Wang Yibo did the best.
Story- 1000000/10! Very unique story and I loved the different arcs. Also the “villains” wasn’t really a actual bad villains. They were villains for a reason... they didn’t really had I choice I guess. Idk.

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From a sceptic to a believer

For months I hesitated watching this series for mainly two reasons :
1) 50 episode count
2) BL storyline

I’m happy to report that both my concerns were unfounded. The episodes count is high but they are only 40 minutes long and once you start watching you’ll binge through the rest. As for the BL storyline it’s there only if you look extremely close. The show portrays them as two individuals with a deep bond - more like soulmates than lovers.

In the end it took me all of 5 mins of watching Wei Wuxian and his antics to fall hopelessly in love with this masterpiece.

A helpful tip: The show begins at a pivotal moment and keeps moving back and forth in time which is a little confusing. I would suggest you start watching from the beginning of the flash back in the last few minutes of ep 2 until it ends in ep 33. Then go watch ep 1-2 and finally the rest from ep 33 onwards.

The story: The story was engaging throughout, presenting a broad range of characters, each with a proper back story. Having read the novel simultaneously, I was amazed how faithful the show is to its source material, down to the actual dialogues even. Aside from some changes, here and there, it truly felt like the novel had come to life. I also appreciate how every story had a conclusion, there were no loose ends.

Acting: Everyone did a good job but I must mention that Xiao Zhan really blew me away. I did not know of him or Wang Yibo being idols so I am very much unbiased in my opinion. WWX is such a layered character who is fun, lovable, mischievous and yet sometimes dark. Xiao Zhan brings so much depth to the role. I can’t imagine anyone else playing the part. Wang Yibo also did a good job given the limited scope in his role. WangJi is such a stoic character, I enjoyed how he brought some warmth into the role with his micro expressions.

Music: The music was pleasant and suited the scenes well. WangXian, sung by the leads is very soothing to hear. I enjoyed the OST a lot.

Rewatch value: I probably will watch this show again. But first I need to watch all of the other adaptations. Be prepared to go through serious withdrawals once you complete the drama.

To sum it up, this show exceeded my expectations and truly deserves all glowing reviews. I am so glad I decided to watch it. I don’t give high ratings often but this show truly deserves a 10/10.

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what a masterpiece!

it has been a year since the release of this chinese drama and i kept being hesitant to watch it until now just because i am a bit picky when something is so hyped up, i tend to get disappointed as soon as it’s too hyped. but well, i decided to give it a try and, oh boy, can’t believe i nearly missed on this amazing work of art.

this is my first wuxia ever, usually i never give historical genre a try since i always get bored of them so my expectations for this one were low on the first place due to my annoying ass. after finishing it, i’m so happy this was my first one and, shockingly enough, i know for a fact that this has become my favourite chinese drama of all time.

not gonna lie, i struggled at the beginning since i wasn’t used to wuxias and the visual effects are a bit deceiving /what’s with them spilling blood from everywhere???/ but don’t get deceived by these small things, the story and journey is just brilliant.

first of all, the characters are amazingly portrayed by the actors. i could feel their emotions just by looking a them. at first i was very confused by the huge amount of new characters popping in and out like there was no tomorrow but once i got used to it, i truly enjoyed everyone! no secondary story from the characters felt unnecessary, i enjoyed every bit of it. lwj and wwx will always have a place in my heart from now on, the development of their relationship is so beautifully done, i couldn’t care less about the china censorship, you can still sense how deeply they loved each other, thank you yibo and xiao zhan for portraying their characters so well!
the main antagonists were a pleasure to see, their background and entire stories, chef’s kiss! i adored the episodes with xue yang & xiao xingchen, i felt the pain like it was mine. also, i really like characters like jiang chen, tormented kids that become insecure due to continuously comparing themselves with others instead of seeing their true value, letting jealousy and resentment lead their actions... such a draco malfoy kind of character! *sorry for my hp reference lol*.

then the story, wow... i literally am left speechless after finishing it! it’s one of the few dramas i haven’t skipped a single bit of it. it was consistent and entertaining throughout the entire series, i might even read the novel at this point since i loved the story so much. special mention to the last ten episodes, every second of it was worth rewatching it, they were a true gem!

the ost; brilliant, painfully beautiful, dazed by it. i could have the entire ost including all the instrumentals on a loop for an eternity and i would be happy for the rest of my life c: at first i skipped the intro all the time but after some episodes i couldn’t resist it and had to watch the entire intro because the song just gave me the feels.

overall, i highly suggest to give this a try no matter what your taste is, it’s a gem and deserves all the hype it got back then (and still has). i’m probably gonna keep rewatching my favourite scenes while i’m sipping on my tea, tearing up because of their perfection.
anyway, the untamed... i tried to give you up because of the hype but you won.

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i’m usually not a huge fan of xianxia/wuxia dramas mostly because i find that most plots are quite similar and extremely repetitive. however the untamed had an extremely well thought out storyline. i was recommended by a friend to watch this around the time it finished broadcasting. i watched the first episode but stopped after that because the corpses and monsters freaked me out a bit and i’m not a fan of scary stuff. i picked it back up a few months later after finding out it was based on a BL novel because i’m a sucker for that.

story:
the plot of this drama was really well written and almost everything had a deeper meaning behind the name. i could connect to almost every character which made the story even more sad. although some stuff didn’t really make sense in the beginning, it all strung together perfectly in the end. every characters struggles were so touching and at times frustrating that it made me want to throw something at the tv. iusually don’t cry because of shows or movies but the untamed had me balling at 3am because of the pure devastation of the story. the drama is pretty faithful to the book (recommend reading that before watching, it helps you understand some things a lot better) with only few small changes here and there the most drastic obviously being wwx and lwj’s relationship.

acting/cast:
10/10 because the cast was absolutely amazing. the actors portrayed their characters perfectly and had really good chemistry, especially between xiao zhan and wang yibo. they just connected with the characters so well, enough said.

music:
i haven’t listened to the whole soundtrack yet but the songs i’ve heard are seriously so good. the lyrics are written to reflect the characters thoughts, feelings, and struggles that might not have shown that much in the drama. every time i hear wwx and jyl’s themes i want to cry because it’s just so damn sad.

rewatch value:
definitely going to. actually planning to rewatch this summer after i finish the anime.

overall the untamed was just so good. it exceeded so many of my expectations and also raised so many of my expectations for cdramas. i still haven’t gotten over the mark it left on me and it’s been freaking months.

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Not Explicit BL but still heavy romantic!!

Disclaimer: I only watch the live action and don't read the other versions of this series so I don't know the plot at all when watching it.

I love how neat the storyline considering the massive censorship. The romance scene will need a lot of your attention and analysis (I may had not notice it if I don't read about the scene explanation lmao). It is not cringe and the love story is very pretty. What I love the most is there are A LOT of sad scenes, AND the protagonist is not always right. The story comes from all roles, so it widen our perspective of the story. I think this series contains a lot of moral value so your time to watch 50 episodes will not go to waste.

The BGM is pretty, it matches with most of the scenes. The act by the actors and actress is A++++ and it is worth rewatching!! (I have rewatched it around 7 times lmao).

What I don't really like is: sometimes the BGM will sound ok but the actors voice's is very difficult to hear even though I set high volume on my device. When I get it higher, the actor's voice will sound ok but the BGM will be too loud. I think their volume is just not balance (I think all c-dramas have this issue too).

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