I watched the drama on its own, only after completing it read the novel, manhua, see the anime. I didn’t find the first episodes boring, it’s just that after episodes 12/13, it really glued me to the screen. The slow pace it’s appropriate in the begining, since there were many names I had to get used with, of characters, clans, sects, artefacts, places, even a wine ?. These are just a complement to a fantasy world just building (reading a lot of fantasy surely helped).
Main characters played their role good. Lack of experience was visible and the length of the drama helped me a lot in liking them, since they did become the characters they were playing, in my eyes. Them being eye candy also helped, of course. I found the brilliant one to be Zhu Zan Jin (Jin Guang Yao / Meng Yao / LianFang-zun). He had admirable control or his eyes and face expressions, showing exactly what you needed to understand, making you wonder about his personality. Awesome, just awesome…. He really made me go through all the feelings scale and he was playing just a support role.
What shone in the drama were the story and WWX-LWJ connection in it. The story kept me for 50 episodes, ignoring the (reaaaally) bad FXs and the C-drama specific, gravity defying, martial arts. It’s not that I didn’t see bad FX and Chinese fantasy martial arts in other dramas, it’s just that they didn’t match the story. If those would’ve been the same level as the story, then no TV series could’ve surpassed “The Untamed”.
I saw my share of dramas, Asian and American, but this is indeed a gem. It’s about human nature, human desires, human regrets, human fickleness, the drug that power is. Most characters covet some degree of power in this story. Villains evolve, we have heroes and anti-heroes, but one thing is obvious. It’s a very well done combination of human faults and qualities with action. None is in excess, to make it boring. The dialogue is smart, logical and fast (big congrats to Sean Xiao for learning all those lines…WWX is a talker!) , the continuity is not ruined by useless and pointless misunderstandings. Big points for character growth as well – always enjoyable for me to see persons who learn and evolve (even though this is indeed a fantasy ?). Most relevant example for character growth (and not the only one) is, of course, our beloved WWX – no spoilers, just go watch the drama already!
This being said, I already rewatched the drama, the special edition, the anime, read the novel and the manhua. I will always revisit all of them with great pleasure. And nerdy me dreams of a HBO or Netflix adaptation for it, with the right budget and keeping all the other elements (ahem Kingdom ahem).
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This review may contain spoilers
I was first introduced to Mo dao Zu Shi through the anime, which is what lead me to watch The Untamed (and also read the original novel). Having seen the story retold in three different mediums (all of which were enjoyable), I can say to anyone who has either read the novel and/or watched the anime and whom is considering this series, that I believe you will be able to enjoy the TV series just as much.
The acting from the leads and supporting cast was well done. Wang Yibo particularly did a wonderful job in his portrayal of Lan Wangji which is quite a difficult character to recreate. Xiao Zhan also did an amazing job with Wei Wuxian, in both depicting the happy and tragic aspects of his story.
Furthermore, considering the ban China has against homosexual relationships shown onscreen, I highly commend the writers/directors and actors for being able to bring across the depth of love that Lan Zhan and Wei Ying have even with the restrictions placed upon them.
The music was also incredible.
Personally what I loved the most about The Untamed is the depth of character, the thought provoking and morally challenging dynamic it has, as well as the depiction of relationships between lovers, family and friends.
As for any critiques, the CGI while not the worst I have ever come across is not the most realistic of portrayals at times (although that could just be because I am not so familiar with the genres style of depiction in Chinese filmography).
Furthermore, while I had already known of the time skips which occur in the story, I have read on several occasions that for watchers who have only seen The Untamed, that the time skip which occurs in the show was not clear enough and some viewers were left confused.
Regardless, I loved The Untamed and have personally watched the series three times already. I can definitely see myself re-watching the series again some time in the future.
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definitely worth the hype-beautiful & moving
I'm going to start by saying i haven't read the novel and this isn't going to be a plot summary.*i'm writing this review like 6 months after finishing haha* and i'm not the greatest at putting my thoughts into beautiful coherent sentences bear with me.
-basically this review says: characters and acting BEST EVER. ost and rewatch? YES PLEASE costume and cinematography? A+ best couple? RIGHT DRAMA
So just a little background, I'm not really that into wuxia dramas, i tend to prefer harem/prince+princess kinda cdramas and so coming into this drama which was super popular I honestly didn't expect myself to fall in love with it.
So the first 10 eps or so were super confusing to me but once the flashback started everything started to fit together. This drama takes patience to get into, but you won't regret the time you spent watching this. As i continued, most of my questions were answered and I started to understand the whole thing around cultivation and spiritual stuff but i'll admit i was and am still just a bit confused with how demonic cultivation works. i guess its a wuxia thing haha.
*if you like wuxia you'll LOVE THIS*
So i took a point off 10 because of the story line itself, .5 for the pacing and .5 for the plot holes but other than that this was a fantastic once in lifetime drama.
I was in awe with the beautiful cinematography and the costume and the set not realizing it was a low budget production. Not joking; my phone background is of this drama because of how gorgeous it is.
Just like others, this drama stood out because of the acting and character story/growth/development. Whoever wrote the characters they deserve a raise. No character was just one dimensional. The actors and actress (gotta give props to xiao zhan and wang yibo) were the true gem of this drama. The entire cast played their role perfectly and made me felt like I was in every single scene. I was in love with every single character. The emotions and even the slightest facial expressions could make you shed a tear. This is one of the best acting and casting in a drama ever. Wang Yibo's role of Lan WangJi was just *chef's kiss*. The female characters were badass as well. Every character shined so much and wre memorable regardless of their screentime.
The main theme of this drama was "What is good? What is bad?" . In life there is no such thing as plain as good or bad, black or white and that is exactly what this drama "discusses". The main character in a way is the protagonist and the antagonist. It's so interesting watching how the rest of the other sects or people of society if you well react to WeiWuXian the main character. It's quite equivalent to what's happening today. You'll see what i mean in the drama. And all along, there's the other main character, Lan WangJi who silently stands by his side no matter what. Our guardian angel, our one and only lan zhan. He's the only one who believes Wei WuXian regardless of how the rest view him. Basically long story short just watch it, it makes you think a lot haha
Sorry if this is all over the place xD
Also I just want to say the FREAKIN OST AHHHHH the main theme song between our 2 leads WuJi is just simply tear jerking. If you read the lyrics it'll make you sob an ocean. That's all i'm going to say.
The rewatch value is definitely 11/10. But maybe not from the very start more like from the beginning of the flashback.
In conclusion, if you love wuxia or if you love a good (subtle) bl drama or if you are like me and just want to see what the hype is all about whatever reason you are doubting yourself to watch this, just WATCH IT. if you get confused or are thinking bout skipping a couple eps cuz its too slow (cuz that was kinda me at some places) feel free to message me so I can fill you in. PLEASE CHECK THIS OUT YOU WON'T REGRET IT.
SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING CLICK OFF IF YOU DONT WANT TO BE SPOILED
i will say, the ending made me cry so much. I was confused. after all that why didn't they end up with each other? And although i still have so many unanswered questions and wish for a season 2, the closure was needed.
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Story:-
Story is great. Greatly applause to the original writer for this awesome story because it is not the typical type. I have also always like strong and smart leads rather than the innocent, naive, nice and stupid type. The story itself is funny, suspenseful, mystery, loving, warm and with life lessons. Originally it is about BL and when it is change to drama, all those scenes need to be cut. Although disappointed haha but I do understand the censorship in China. Plus this is a rated PG drama to be air across China, how can they air it if it is about BL? However the director did put some scenes here and there for some hints which I am really thankful for. Plus their friendship or bond is greatly shown in the drama so I am overall satisfied.
At the beginning the novel fans dislike it because there are some changes. When a drama is adapted from a novel, some details or part of the story have to be change to accommodate with the flow, environment, settings or props etc. Sometimes it is done so badly that it ruins the story (there are so many precedent) so the concern of the fans are understandable but as the drama continues to air, this definitely did not disappoint. Some parts are edited to make the flow of the story better. The most visible changes are the sequence of the story, the additional scenes for the side characters and some key point of the story but most part is still the same so I have no problem with that.
The novel sequence is quite confusing at times because it keeps changing between past and present while drama shows a little part of the present for like 2 eps then tell the past in one shot before showing the present again. The overall story still remained the same but this way viewers might understand the flow better especially those that did not read the novel. Additional scenes for the side characters are okay to me as long as they do not interrupt the main story. A lot of the details from novel are adapted in which I am quite surprised. There are not many drama out there adapting stories from novel can be this similar to it. So well done director and writers!
Some points like the “evil shoulder” in the beginning change to a sword is quite funny lol Plus they are suppose to look for the other body parts along the way but goes straight to the end and know who it belongs to. Since the conclusion is still the same, I just kinda ignore the process of it. One more point is that WWX did not willingly fall off the cliff in the novel. His death is suppose to cause by his power attack and reflect back on his body?? (I don't know how to explain it in english but is 反噬 in chinese) The point is it is not consider as suicide. However JC did stab him and other people did try to attack him and this is another fight 3 years later from what was shown in drama. He retreat safely from the first fight. Oh well, he is still dead but the meaning is kinda different though.
Cast:-
Xiao Zhan is definitely a great choice for Wei Wu Xian character. Same goes to Wang Yi Bo as Lan Wang Ji too. This is the first time I watch any of Xiao Zhan's project and his acting as WWX is great. I can't say that they are 100% perfect but they are great enough so the bad part can be forgotten. Yu Bin is also cute as Wen Ning. Xuan Lu as Jiang Yan Li is quite perfect because of her image, she really looks so kind, gentle and warm so even if her acting is bad (not saying it is) it doesn't really matter. Wang Zhuo Cheng as Jiang Cheng is a bit awkward, the way he cry or when he is angry or the action he did just feel a bit stiff to me. Most of the actors here are quite new especially those that act as the younger generation ones so I guess it is understandable for them to be awkward at times. Some did pretty well but still there are some scenes I just can't really stand it. At times even the older ones are really awkward like Jin Guang Shan or Lan Qi Ren. I am not sure if they are new but I cringed during some scenes when their acting is so awkward.
Music:-
Most of it are really nice especially the main song 'The Untamed' (无羁) sang by Xiao Zhan and Wang Yi Bo. The melody suits the drama a lot and it sounds so soothing when it is change to flute or zither sound. Both their character song Qu Jin Chen Qing (曲尽陈情) and Bu Wang (不忘) really sticks out for its lyrics as they are so applicable to their characters. Another special one is Jiang Yan Li's song Yi Nan Ping (意难平). But one thing I do want to point out is that their flute or zither playing are really awkward. I can't blame them as they do not know how to play in real life and the music may not be on while they are acting so when it is edited in, the music and hand are not sync ends up weird and awkward. Most of the time they apply the same songs to all the situation and some may not suit it well so it turns out unnatural.
Rewatch value:-
I rarely rewatch the show unless it is really nice and to my liking but this is definitely one of it. I totally would like to rewatch it over again now that I know the ending, some parts in the beginning makes more sense to me now. Also just to watch both the main leads and their friendship.
This is one of the few dramas out there with great storyline, casting and acting, edited nicely, great costume, props and settings, music and ending. Not that everything is perfect, but it is still great enough to give it a try. It is to my satisfaction so kudos to the directors, writers, all staffs and actors actress! Good job :)
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I LOVE THIS DRAMA
So I just finished watching this after my third time watching it and let me tell you that no matter how many times I watch this I never get tired of it like its so GOOD! Like every time I've watched this, all the scenes feel new! This drama is by far my number 1 top dramas list and all the actors did such a great job portraying the characters. And I've watched dramas that weren't about love before but it was always between a guy/girl type of drama, that had somewhat a lil bit of a love line (which was kinda annoying tho) but also another reason why I love this drama is that it's about a friendship between guys and it gave me bisexual vibes LOL, which I heard in the novel that the characters were all bisexual, i believe(?) but anyways I know I said it already but I'll say it again, THIS DRAMA IS THE BEST. Applauds to the writer, producer and director who made this drama AND the author created the novel in the first place.Was this review helpful to you?
one of my favourites
I’m writing this review after having read the novel (I definitely recommend reading it if you haven’t yet).It still fascinates me how someone in China must have read that novel and said to themselves YES this must be turned into a Drama... but I’m thankful for whoever did it. Even though it would have been nice if it would have been shot somewhere else so we could have at least gotten a tiny glimpse of skin-ship. That’s not why I deducted half a point of my rating though.
The actors were chosen extremely well. I loved how Wang Yibo (Lan Wangji) managed to convey every single emotion even tho he basically had the same expression and didn’t say much throughout most scenes. And even though they couldn’t give us anything too substantial, to me the chemistry between the characters was definitely tangible.
I won’t go to deep into the story, it was interesting and new (to me at least), sad at times, funny at others, all in all it did a great job at putting the novel’s storyline (apart from the romance arch) on film. There where some parts left out or altered, causing some parts of the story to become kind of confusing, however all in all it still made enough sense for me to watch and enjoy before having read the novel.
The reason I’m not giving this a 10 is mainly because I felt that some parts where kind of confusing or let’s say missing something?
Once I read the novel I figured out why/what. There are some parts in the novel where what’s happening is closely correlated to the two characters’ relationship. However since the Drama never actually defined this relationship they had to find other reasons as to why they needed to start a fight at that moment etc. And that sometimes made it seem kind of weird or uncalled for (in my eyes).
The other part is the timing of the Drama, I’m not sure whether I liked it or not, because I don’t know if the timing from the novel would have been watchable if kept in the Drama. The Drama gives us a short glimpse of what is happening right now, and then jumps into the past for a loooooong flashback until it returns and stays in the present.
The novel mixed past and present whenever the past was necessary to explain the current situation or fit the current situation. This made it easier to actually understand the story and follow along.
While watching the Drama I actually had to go back to the beginning once the flashback ended to check what had happened before we traveled to the past.
However all in all this was still a great Drama that definitely deserves the hype.
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This review may contain spoilers
If you’re looking for an epic, heart-wrenching Bromance, this is it. I’d go even further and say that this drama is primarily about loyalty and love between two very charismatic men. Although there are female characters and hints at possible romances, the women are secondary to the romance between the two main characters, as well as many of the other men.There were a couple of times when I thought the drama dragged a bit and it could be a little confusing, especially when it jumped back and forth in time and when the characters discussed other people (hint: learn everyone’s name). The CGI was not great nor am I a big fan of zombie-type dramas so I did roll my eyes at some of the over-the-top fight scenes with the CGI creatures. And there was one scene near the end involving Dimples where Monty Python and the Holy Grail kept running through my head: “It's just a flesh wound.” But other scenes made me feel like crying into my coffee. And I thought that the ending was perfect.
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This review may contain spoilers
My 2 cents about this one
This drama really is a puzzle for me, so many people sing odes to it and I'm in shock, why?I tried to watch this year ago and dropped it on first few episodes, I saw recently that The Untamed is still first on MyDramaList , so I thought, maybe I was in the wrong mood before and I didn't get it, and I'll give it a try once more.
But even when I watched the whole thing (I was so reluctant to watch everything but I forced myself in order to see why), I didn't understand why this show is still the number one.
Then I did a little research and found out that this story was made from a very popular book, and it had many followers even before it was made. I get it now, people really love the book, and I also think that almost always book is better than tv show or movie adaptation, books are complex and deep and if they are well written, no movie can match that.
Ok, book is amazing. but... this show is really really poorly made, like writer/director didn't put much thought into it and heart.
Story: 2.0 *** THE SPOILERS AHEAD ***
(0 - 30 episodes)
Plot is stupid and draggy, boring in one word, first 10 episodes are really bad, when I think about it now when I finished watching them all. WWX acts like he has slept for couple of days after he had fallen in that abyss.
And what happened to him after he fell into abyss is never revealed, maybe people who read the book knows but we who didn't, we don't need to know, some things are better left unknown *sarcasm*.
He remembers everything but he didn't go to see what happened with all those people that he knew and cared about and to find out what really happened after he disappeared, how his sister got killed and everything else, things just happened to him at that point.
When he heard that his best friend LWJ is going to show up (1. or 2. episode maybe), he said something like, "Oh no, who needs that gloomy Lord" or something similar (his best friend who he's going to see for the first time after he fell), also when he saw his nephew for the first time he said that "his mother didn't teach him well manners" or something. I mean, he should started crying when he saw him, remembering his dead sister. His behavior is so strange, like he doesn't care for anything or anyone, and acts as if he has no emotions or heart, completely devoid of soul. Everything that he did in the beginning of the show doesn't fit in the whole picture at all, when we finally find out what happened before he fell.
Things are also happening by chance, the way how WWX and LWJ found out the place where Yin metal is hidden, is really naive and unconvincing. After that their travel to the lake/river/whatever and destroying evil plants was so dull and visually not engaging at all.
The main sects leaders sent their sons and daughters to be imprisoned/killed just like that, their fight against Wen clan looks so pathetic, silly, better fit for some parody movie, laughable.
When WWX started to use dark energy, so many weird things happened around it that I don't even know how to describe it, I could lose my mind every time I remember those scenes, fortunately, I'll quickly forget them, just like the complete drama.
The whole thing with zombies or puppet-like people through the show is simply dumb, lifeless and this word fits perfectly here :D.
(30 - 50 episodes)
The weirdest and grossest sequence of all, involves the blind girl, the blind guy in white, and the most evil person in the entire show (I forgot all their names). The whole scenario in Yin City is beyond stupid, I'm just baffled that someone could really like and enjoy watching that kind of thing in any drama, movie, or whatever.
Finally, the ending/elimination of the last villain was devoid of any real logic and sense. There's no genuine motivation for him to become so evil other than a poorly explained desire for revenge. While revenge can be a compelling reason if well-written, here it simply falls short.
Villains in general are extremely badly written in this show, they are mostly evil just because plot needs them to be, we don't see the real motivation behind their actions, sect leader of Wen is just obsessed with power and will to dominate. Why? Because... reasons. He also has powerful generals who can defeat other main sects almost on their own, that's just utterly boring.
The most interesting person is WWX, his personality is very likable. He's a free spirit, always ready for any kind of mischievous actions, and he doesn't like to be ordered around. However, later on, writers had to create all these unnecessary misunderstandings around him. I understand why they had to do it for the plot, but all these elements are poorly thought out and implemented, once again, it's an example of unbelievably bad writing.
One more thing that I didn't like is that there is no romance, I read that it is some kind BL (boy love) between WWX and LWJ, maybe this is interesting for females and gay people but I'm strait guy so I saw only friendship there, but real romance is missing, WWX's sister chemistry and screen time with her boyfriend/husband if we can call it that even, is almost non existent and we don't see why is she in love with him, but instead we can only see why she shouldn't be.
They could make something with WQ and WWX, or WQ and JC, but no, only brotherly love for WQ.
I know that drama is amazing when every now and then some scene touch something deep in me, and I start crying or at least I feel that I could cry, but in this one, only for two parts I felt I could cry, when WN bought butterfly toy and show it to AY and talking to him, and the other part was when it's revealed that WWX transferred his golden core to his brother, two short moments, that's it.
*** THE END OF THE SPOILERS ***
Acting: 5.5
Some performances are okay, while others are bad, but with such a dumb, empty, and mind-numbingly boring plot, all of that becomes irrelevant.
Music: 5.5
Music is not bad, but I feel at times it is a bit off in some scenes.
Re-watch: 1.0
Watching this was a very painful experience for me, and I won't do it anymore, FOR SURE.
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If you dont watch this, youll regret it!!!
First cdrama ive watched in loooonnnngggg time with no cliche 3rd party, jealous/evil girlfriend wannabes, etc. Instead, the story is solid and unfolds at a beautiful pace. It had me angry with the hypocritical cultivators who thought it was ethtical to kill under the guise of justice. Wei Wu Xian's character is complex, multi dimensional and it makes the audience empathise with him, even if you dont agree with his actions. This is the first movie ive deen Xiao Zhan and Yibo in, and I'm obsessed. XZ put his heart and soul into the role and it shows. He even lost more weight and looked more gaunt/depressed after being exiled from his sect. Lan Zhan is a loyal friend who always helps WWX even when he doesnt fully agree with him.Although the overt theme of love between the male characters isnt portrayed, i think i love it more with the subtleties, side glances and furtive looks. Sometimes more can be said with less. And this film has portrayed that beautifully between both the main characters. It took me on a rollercoaster of emotions, and i cant wait to finish it but ill also be sad when its done.
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Simply one of the best shows I have ever seen
I have no words, this show left me speechless. I watched this during the quarantine and WOW is all I have to say..While I was VERY hesitant about watching it at first as I had no experience with Chinese dramas, and it was too big for my liking, I don't regret anything. Everything about it is perfect, the story line takes your breath away, every single person I have recommended this to was unable to watch JUST ONE episode, myself included, even though I am a person who has a hard time watching more than one episode. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, from anger, to happiness, to sadness and literal crying, this show has everything. The cast could not be better, every actor suits their role perfectly and no one could do a better job. The costumes and the props overall are AMAZING and they make the setting of the drama breathtakingly beautiful. The only one thing I did not like was some of the effects, but believe me, everything else makes up for it perfectly, you will NOT be disappointed.
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boring, draggy, overrated
wanted to watch this drama for it's plot and storyline but it just was too boring, not sorry. started out first few episodes was okay, I didn't had much thoughts about it but as the drama progressed, I found myself struggling to stay awake or focus on this drama. It was purely so mild, there's no kick and DEFINITELY overrated, how did it even get good reviews? why was this even 50 episodes honestly, what a waste of my time thinking I would watch a high end drama with good actors but turns out just to be a lame story. The actors were good, no shade to any of them but honestly this type of drama is a type of drama the older generation would prefer, lousy and draggy just nice for grandma or grandpas.how did this show get such good reviews though?! I'm so surprised, did the chemistry, bts, appearance of the MLs trick everyone's mind into give it 10 stars? honestly I already know the main reason for it's popularity, Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan ofc. They're popular everywhere and even BL category is hard to find nowadays in cdramas because of China's strictness, that's why their bromance is shipped by many and attracting many netizens to watching this boring drama..
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