I have a very low attention span. Here are my thoughts.

The issue with me and dramas is that I usually lose interest after a few episodes. When I heard of The Untamed, I was hesitant. I heard it was based on a really good BL novel (though the BL elements are only hinted for the sake of censorship in the drama), and I was interested, but the hesitance was still there because it was 50 EPISODES LONG. But I gave it a try. A few episodes in, I was waiting for the slope: the moment I'd put it on hold or drop it because of my low attention span. Ten episodes in, it never came.

The story is what made me stay. It's such a refreshing take on historical drama. The plot is unlike anything I've read/watched/heard of before. It gets a bit rocky because of a flashback portion that takes up majority of the episodes, but even so, I was hooked. Episode after episode, I watched, eager to learn more. The characters were complex, interesting, and entertaining. The bond between Wuxian and Wangji was amazing. I cared for a lot of them, I cried for a lot of them, I screamed at some of them, I felt my blood boil at some of them. That's when you know it's good. Some dramas nowadays, you could care less about some characters. But this drama gave its characters so much depth that I really ended up caring for everyone, even some of the "villains".

The acting is superb. Everyone delivered some amazing performances. I have not, admittedly, read the novel/read the comic/watched the anime, but I have a strong feeling that the main cast is simply perfect. They really did their roles well. The music was good. Although not too noticeable in some parts, when it comes to the front, it definitely does it job well. The production value is high: the costumes are amazing, the stunts are very well done (though the flying does make me laugh sometimes), and some CGI moments were a hit or miss, but they mostly hit the right or decent spot. I wouldn't put the rewatch value as too high. You do get attached to the characters with the length of the story, but I don't think I'll be rewatching. There's so much detail that I don't think I would need to revisit this any time soon.

Overall, an amazing drama. This experience has even pushed me to go ahead and read the novel! For those hesitating, give it 5 or 6 episodes. Try it out. It's good :)

Read More