Let me start by saying that this is the only TV show I ever rewatched just because I felt like it. It's interesting seeing how I kept it in my "plan to watch" list for months because 50 episodes seemed too much at the time. After finishing it I wouldn't mind if it had 50 more.

I love pretty much everything about The Untamed, but if I had to pick something that could be better it would be [some] CGI and [some] fighting scenes. Objectively speaking they're not the best and at first it was hard to watch some of the first few episodes, but later I didn't even pay attention to it because everything else that is good about this show overshadowed those negative points. And speaking about CGI, I actually liked how some of it looked [f.ex. talismans, resentful energy, some spells], the only issue were big 'monsters'.

Now, things I LOVED:

1. Story & characters - I love how complex and well thought out everything was. We had enough time to get to know the characters before the story picked up momentum. It stayed consistent throughout the show and every episode was interesting and exciting. There were many story arcs and all of them had their own charms. Thinking about it now I cannot possibly choose my favorite. I love how everything that happened throughout the show affected characters in a visible way. Their development was done masterfully. Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng and everyone else went through so much and differences in their characters at the beginning of this story and at the end are so stark but also completely understandable and natural. Seeing them going through these phases of development was heartbreaking but gratifying. Relationships between different characters are probably my favorite thing about this show. Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji, Yunmeng Siblings (my heart still aches when I think about them), Lan Xichen/Jin Guangyao etc. all of them were layered and well portrayed. I’m not a big fan of romance in TV shows so I absolutely loved how they depicted love between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. It’s something between bromance and romance and it’s done flawlessly. There was so much tragedy and angst throughout these 50 episodes, but the ending was happy, and that’s also something that I appreciate a lot. Give me angst and anguish but make the characters happy after all those tribulations.

2. Music/OST – Music in this show is something out of this world. Let’s just say that months after watching it for the first time I still listen to this OST almost every day. I also used to listen to instrumental OST every day before going to bed. It’s the best lullaby you could wish for. I love how every character [the more important ones] has the theme song with lyrics that do such a great job at portraying them. WuJi, Qu Jin Chen Qing, Bu Wang, Hen Bie, Huang Cheng Du etc. are beautiful songs with beautiful lyrics that will make your heart ache once you know the full story behind them. Really, the person responsible for music in this show deserves nothing but praise.

3. Costumes and sets – First of all, costumes were beautiful and they didn’t look cheap or fake which is case in some dramas. Locations and sets were also really pretty. I loved the whole aesthetic behind different sect/clan residences and how all of them portrayed these clans and their characteristics in a visual way. Visual aspects of Cloud Recesses, Lotus Pier, Unclean Realm, Nightless City and Carp Tower really contribute to the clan (and character) characterization. Also, I really like those names!

4. Acting – When it comes to acting I’m a bit torn. I really love how some actors portrayed their characters, but in some scenes acting wasn’t the best. It wasn’t unwatchable, but it could’ve been better. Many of these actors didn’t have much experience in acting so it’s understandable and to be honest I didn’t mind that much. Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo as main leads did a fantastic job tho. When it comes to supporting cast I really like Liu Hai Kuan’s (Lan Xichen) and He Peng’s (Wen Chao) acting. Their facial expressions were really interesting to watch.

There is something addictive about this drama. If you decide to give it a try there is a good chance that you’ll absolutely love it. When it comes to me personally, deciding to watch it was one of my better decisions this year. It introduced me to the world of Chinese TV shows and it gave me motivation to start learning Chinese. Falling in love with these characters and actors was the easiest thing in the world.