This review may contain spoilers
Hey you! Yeah you there! Watch it!
Ok I wanted to wait a minute before making this review. I needed to make sure that I would accurately convey my thoughts on this drama. So warning this will be long and spoilery- ish(?).First thing first,to answer the question of the small percentage of people who have not watched this drama:Should I watch this drama? This answer is: yes, a very loud, enthusiastic yes. This drama easily ranks as one of the best tv shows I’ve ever watched. I would highly recommend you to watch it.I watched this drama in sections because first of all, it’s long. Sooo long. But do not let stop you from watching it if your like me and detest long dramas.Second of all, I needed to take breaks from my frequent heart burn. Trust me it wasn’t my diet.
I’ve never fallen so hard for a MC as I did Wei Wuxian. He is the opposite of a character I would typically like. He’s an extroverted character whose loud and a little bit obnoxious. Honestly if I had met him at the beginning I might have punched him. But as he grew and matured , he grew on me.He has many admirable traits that an audience likes to see:humility , selflessness , and a deep care for others. I prayed to whatever god to not make him a male Mary Sue. And these prayers were answered. Thank you author, the man has flaws!I was so thankful that he was not portrayed to be the perfect character who can do no wrong. This made him all the more real to me. It made me care for his character deeply.
I have also never fallen so hard for a second male lead as I have fallen for Lan Wangji. Even if it could not be portrayed as clearly as it should have because of Chinese censorship, you can see and feel how much he cares for Wei Wuxian. Man, I need someone to be as loyal to me as he is loyal to Wei Wuxian. Seriously, his loyalty knows no bounds. The character trait that he has that him and Wei Wuxian share that I like is that that they both stand up for what they believe in. It’s an admirable trait that I hope to now carry into my real life. The only problem I have with Lan Wangji is that he does not have any real flaws. Correct me if I’m wrong. I might have missed something( I haven’t watched it in like seven months.)I guess you could argue his flaw is his loyalty to Wei Wuxian, which led to pain in his life. But you could also argue that this is a strength because in the end he is given happiness because of it.
One last character I want mention before moving on to the plot is Jiang Cheng. Dear reader, give him a chance! I see a lot of you dogging on Jiang Cheng. I get it. So much of his actions in the plot lead you to dislike him. But even if the actors acting wasn’t fantastic. I liked Jiang Cheng. I feel like he is so misunderstood and hated on because he caused Wei Wuxian a little pain. Which of course makes total sense.But didn’t Wei Wuxian as well? What I like about Jiang Cheng is that he is so human and real. I related to his character so much. I feel like if I was in his place I would have done similar actions. Regrettably, of course. But this makes me wonder how people’s views would change if Jiang Cheng were the MC. I bet you some of you would sympathize with him because his story is tragic as well.
I enjoyed the main villain(?)as well. There is the obvious villain but there is also hinting at a less obvious villain that is fantastically portrayed.
The plot I enjoyed. Who wouldn’t like men with swords attempting to save the world? Give me more. They took out some of the stuff from the book due to censorship’s I believe but I think it’s still pretty solid.Also this drama introduced me to the whole cultivation world which I find very interesting. It’s a plot I have not seen a million times and it’s enjoyable.
The music I enjoyed well enough. People dog on the music but I honestly I don’t think it’s too bad.The emotions I think we were meant to feel were amplified because of it.
The drama itself does have its flaws. One major thing for me was that some of the actors acting showed that they were not well seasoned actors.
The costume design and hair was okay at best for me.
Some of the CGI, whew honey.
But overall all a fantastic drama I will never forget: due to how much heartburn it caused me(but also it’s endearing characters).
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Best of the Best
This is one of my first dramas when i started into these. Its on of the best dramas out there. The setting, the plot although a different from the novel was portrayed greatly. If there is ever a recommendation on what to watch first this will always be it.This is the best drama to start with and then you can watch others. The two main leads casted was the best, they just fit the character of WWX and LWJ. They are the heart and soul of the drama.
This is a must watch and re-watch, as i have done over 15 times now since I first got introduce to it.
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I'm a huge BL fan lol. Before I got into this drama, I read the novel, manhua and watched the donghua and love them, so I have high expectation for the drama. The start was a bit confusing for some who don't know the story, but I promise if you get passed first couple episodes, it IS worth it! I was afraid China's censorship would affect it but I have to say the writer and director did NOT disappoint. On the surface, the drama does not seem gay at all but you can see/feel the subtle hints of their feeling through the characters' interaction. And that's what made me happy, cos they found a way around the censorship to stay true to the novel (minus the H-scenes).
The cast is awesome and such eye-candy. Besides some not-so-good acting from supporting roles, the main roles delivered very well. I'm quite happy this drama introduced me to Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo cos they're great talents.
The soundtrack is so heartfelt. Each song matches the theme and characters really well. The tune is beautiful and the lyrics are so meaningful that they brought me to tears every time.
Overall, the whole drama is a rollercoaster. I laughed, smiled and cried with the series. I'd LOVE to see more of them. I keep on rewatching it and can't seem to move on to a new show. 50 eps are not enough for my thirst T_T
P/s: I highly recommend reading the novel as you can see more of the main couple's love in the extra stories. They're really fun and romantic.
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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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MY NUMBER #1 GRRRRRRR
Like most, this was the drama that introduced me to this world. I still remember the scenario - 2020, beginning of the pandemic, i sit on sofa with my cousin and we started this masterpiece. I wish I could go back just to watch for the first time. I JUST LOVE SO MUCH WANGXIAN THEY'RE SO PRECIOUS TO ME I LOVE MXTX SO MUCH THIS WOMAN IS AN ANGEL IN OUR LIVES FR I WISH ALL THE GOOD THINGS N BETTER IN HER LIFE OK. grrrrrr this just simply created my personality, i know i would be nothing today without wangxian and mo dao zu shi..... i introduce mdzs and The Untamed to ALLLLLL my friends and and I hope that one day i find someone as obsessed as i am with mxtx's works. dito isso quero o live action de tgcf na minha mesa ja.Was this review helpful to you?
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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This review may contain spoilers
masterpiece
when you fall in love with every character in a series you realise how great it is. I have sobbed, cried, laughed out loud, smiled. A Bow to the author and hats down to the actors. I mean all of them their roles were flawless.Ooohhh what a ride that was. Nothing will ever replace this show's spot in my heart.This taught me something..love doesn't want touch, words it only needs to understand each other. Lan Zhan stayed with Wei until the end. And understand him from the beginning to the end. And fought with him together. Their love is pureThis prove that even without single hug and kiss the drama can be the masterpieceSomething I took from The Untamed and won't ever let go of: "Only because it's evil, it doesn't necessarily mean it's bad." Wei Wuxian did something out of society's norms, and was considered evil, etc. but he did it and used it to protect those who he loves and are weak. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this series, it was amazing and heart touching!I love the ending, even without kiss or hug... When Lan zhan call his name, i'm crying for happiness.. they finally togetherI've watched this abt a million times but it hits so hard every time Jiang Cheng pulls out Wei Ying's flute and tosses it to him. He's been holding onto it for 16 years. ..... over all this drama is masterpiece
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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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Dare I say this is the best cdrama to ever exist
A MASTERPIECEThe Untamed holds a special place in my heart as the series that ignited my passion for Chinese dramas, particularly because of the incredible talent of Xiao Zhan. This drama stands out as one of the best cdramas ever, and I'd like to share the reasons why. First and foremost, the captivating storyline drew me in from the very beginning. "The Untamed" masterfully blends fantasy, adventure, and romance, creating a rich narrative that explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and moral dilemmas. The journeys of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji intertwine against a backdrop of conflict and intrigue, keeping me engaged and prompting me to reflect on deeper philosophical questions about right and wrong. Xiao Zhan's performance, alongside Wang Yibo, was a major reason I fell in love with this series. His portrayal of Wei Wuxian is nothing short of remarkable. The chemistry between the two leads is palpable, and their emotional depth truly brings the characters to life. Xiao Zhan's talent captivated me, making me eager to explore more of his work.
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