yes, this is worth watching if you haven't yet
okay I came for BL but got more of a bromance, but after rewatching it I realized I was being dense and ther were a lot of ambiguous scenes so its making me happy. also the fact that I'm so whipped for Lan Zhan is just sjdlskfdjkdf. anyways the acting is really good like the actor who plays wen ning, it was his first drama and I think he managed to act all all the character's layers. ALSO THE MUSIC!!! I usually don't notice drama osts but wow I loved this one so much. basically, if you have the time, watch this. (if you want you can watch the special instead as the main plot is still there and its just more watered down than the drama.)Was this review helpful to you?
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The Untamed (2019) ★★★★★
I put off watching The Untamed for a long time.Partly because it was 50 episodes, partly because the fandom surrounding it is so intense, and partly because when something is hyped this much, it often struggles to live up to expectations.
In this case, the hype was deserved.
The Untamed is not a perfect drama. The special effects are often dated. Some of the musical choices are unintentionally funny. There are moments where the production shows its age and budget limitations.
None of that mattered.
The story is simply too good.
What begins as a mystery surrounding the return of the infamous Yiling Patriarch gradually unfolds into a story about loyalty, grief, sacrifice, reputation, family, belonging, and the devastating power of narrative. Few dramas have explored the concept of othering as effectively as this one. Again and again, characters are judged not by what they have done, but by the stories people tell about them.
Wei Wuxian is one of the most compelling protagonists I have encountered in a C-drama. Warm, mischievous, intelligent, compassionate, stubborn, and occasionally reckless, he remains fundamentally committed to protecting others even when the world decides he is a villain. Xiao Zhan’s performance is extraordinary.
Equally impressive is Wang Yibo as Lan Wangji. Playing a reserved character is difficult. Playing one who communicates almost entirely through subtle changes in expression is even harder. Wang Yibo somehow manages to convey loyalty, affection, grief, regret, devotion, and love while speaking very little. By the end of the drama, some of the most emotional moments come from a glance rather than a speech.
The supporting cast is equally strong. Jiang Cheng is frustrating, tragic, and deeply human. Wen Ning became one of my favorite characters. Lan Xichen’s kindness and optimism make him easy to love. Jin Guangyao is one of the most effective villains I have seen in a drama because he rarely appears villainous. His greatest weapon is not power but perception.
The greatest strength of The Untamed, however, is its world.
Cloud Recesses, Lotus Pier, Burial Mounds, Koi Tower—each feels like a real place inhabited by real people with histories, traditions, loyalties, and wounds. Long after finishing the drama, I suspect these places and characters will remain vivid in my memory.
This is not the strongest romance I have watched.
It is not the most emotionally devastating drama I have watched.
It is not the most visually impressive drama I have watched.
But it may be the most immersive world I have visited.
By the end, I did not want to leave.
That is one of the highest compliments I can give any story.
Highly recommended.
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AFTER WATCHING THIS DRAMA, YOU CAN'T JUST MOVE ON. YOU JUST WANT TO HAVE MORE.
This is a great drama with a great story line. The actors portraying their characters so well, they are so perfect for the role!The OST is so good as well, even sung by the actors. They are so talented! I am LSS with the song <3
For the first episodes just hang in there, watch it very well because it will be needed to understand the story more in the late episodes.
Comparing to kdramas I watched, this Cdrama stand out more due to the great story and lovely actors. Because of this I am become more interested to CDRAMAS HAHA.
Watch this and you will never be disappointed specially if you want something new to watch after watching so much kdramas. It's refreshing and will change your opinion about cdramas.
Because of this drama I am become fan of Xiao Zhan and become curious of him. Well he is handsome and very bubbly in the drama and very talented too <3. After searching about him, He is naturally born talented, he can act, he can sing, he can draw, he can dance and he has a good, nice personality, very humble too. Hoping this crisis about him will come to pass. You have so many people loving you Xiao Zhan. Fighting!!
Your loving FAN from PH <3
PS. Even PH and China have some unresolved crisis, my love for Xiao Zhan will remained strong <3. Hoping PH and China will reconciled as soon as possible <3
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FLAWED in the basis, but still strong in some important aspects
The music, the cast choice and the performances are superb, top notch. The main lad is a hundred peecent believable, and the villains did a perfect job.Even the stupidest and most unlikeable “good” character, the named brother of the main lad, was played perfectly.
As per the mainland Chinese tradition, nearly all of the cast was dubbed. Only the actor for Nie Huai Sang character has his own voice. Knowing how some of the actors actually sound, I do not mind the dubbing as the voice actors chosen have smooth, rich timbres. But the main actor could have totally voice his role himself.
Among important themes, the series shows massacres quite well. Things like this or worse have been happening in reality.
The show has managed to keep some secrets, making viewers guessing, to its very end, which is great.
Of course, the series’ scenario was censored to remove the BL content, but it still works because just normal strong friendship explains most of what is happening. Besides, the series has lots of cute lads and even a very beautiful lady. Actor Song Ji Yang wins the most beautiful mouth of all time category.
The series is a bit too dragged sometimes, so the optimal number of episodes should be maybe 40, not 50.
The directorial narrative is, at times, confusing.
I see no purpose of putting the first few episodes from the current time upfront only to go back to a giant flashback that makes you forget what was happening. The series would have been even better with a more straightforward narrative.
Sometimes you have to guess what is happening: whether it is a flashback within a flashback or it is something going on concurrently.
And even the timeline announcements make no sense. For example, the giant flashback story is actually starts 32 years ago before the current events, not 16 years ago as the show is titling it. But the series stack the timeline shift so much that you can get it wrong.
The last few episodes are too explanatory, which cheapens the narrative.
Some other drawbacks, among the extensive list of notes to took while watching the series, are below with a spoiler tag:
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I couldn't give less than ten/ten The Untamed because this is just masterpiece okay, the winner of summer 2019 chinese drama goes tooo The Untamed team! haha.Story: Adaptaion from Mo Dao Zhu Shi into The Untamed. Perfect. I just dont know how to describe it. You just have to watch it. (ive rewatched this many times and everytime emotions stay the same, my heart drops ooops :()
Cast and acting: THE BEST. Xiao Zhan as Wei Wu Xian hah it really couldn't be better match for him to this character, like wow. Yibo didn't speak much but as Lan Wangji he had to play with his eyes and delicate movements. Shijie ah Shijie! Lulu is even Shijie in real life as boys told in interview hah love that! All The Unntamed team madde a huge effort thanks to them we had a wonderful memories!
music rewatch value: Music is beautiful, You can sing TU songs, its catchy and beaufiful melody, The instrumental versions are perfect to stress out yourself! RV: 50 episodes and closed action WWX and LZ are together aww, my heart burts the fattest uwus!
Thank you so much thank you!
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The story. The cast. The cinematography. I loved it. I loved how this c-drama is not like other c-dramas. I loved the relationship onscreen between the two main actors. This is easily one of my top c-dramas. I would not mind watching it for the third time in a row. I even showed this to my friend and she loves it. I feel that this c-drama is going to be more successful. I really loved the music and the OST. The ending song is really beautiful that it made me sad. I really loved the cinematography and the sets... Those are really beautiful. They even cgi the lanterns in one scene. I also loved the outfits.. My favorite outfit is the outfit that Xiao Zhan, (Wei Wuxian), wears which is the signature black and red outfit. Was this review helpful to you?
I recommend watching the drama, you'll fall in love with it.
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Shines Bright Despite Shaky Start
I went into The Untamed in 2026 after only watching 4 C dramas previously. The ratings were so high, and the fanbase seemed rabidly passionate when I researched, so I was happy to jump in.Buuuuut…it started with so-so initial production quality (I’d only watched Love Between Fairy and Devil, Pursuit of Jade, and a few others), enough so I nearly tuned out. It felt dated and meh. Story seemed flat.
But I knew better from great (US) series like Supernatural that if THIS many people from all over the world are screaming from the rooftops about something, listen to them closely, give it a chance. Keep going and stick with it beyond a few eps.
I did, and I came out the other side a complete raving fan.
This show has the magic of original Star Trek or Supernatural - it soars and bursts with life and energy due to the characters and the actors bringing them to life and doesn’t need a fancy production budget. It’s phenomenal. It’ll make you cry. Laugh. Stay up till 4am desperate for behind other scenes content on YouTube in a language you don’t speak.
At its heart, Xiao Zhan’s magnetic, devil may care, kind and noble-hearted Wei Wuxian (Wei Ling), who you follow through life, deaths, rebirth and more. It’s storytelling of a HUGELY epic nature. And with him through this odyssey is Lan Zhan: stoic, otherworldly, but ice cold and uncompromising (think:Spock)…who is yanked right out of his rigidly controlled life by meeting his complete opposite, something way more than a best friend or buddy or romantic interest - they’re soulmates.
The Untamed is grand, beautiful, tragic, wonderful…and ultimately, hopeful. Don’t wait to meet all these characters brought to life by talented actors and actresses and story and behind the scenes people who just got it SO perfect. It’s rare.
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I’m so glad that this drama brought them both so much fame, they deserve it, they really do. Xiao Zhan for his hard work and for the many times he wasn’t treated right by the industry, from his own agency to variety hosts, and Wang Yibo for proving all the naysayers who didn’t trust his acting skills so wrong.
This drama pushed all my buttons mainly with Wei Ying and Lan Zhan’s story. Lovers or “just” soulmates, that never really mattered to me because their love was an almost tangible thing, expressed with tender looks and gentle touches and sweet, profound, everlasting loyalty and trust. And that’s what I found so glorious.
I admit I cried at the end of the final episode. Not because of the actual ending but because the drama was over. It felt like saying goodbye to a loved one. It truly had a profound impact on me.
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THIS IS AND WAS A MASTERPIECE
The Untamed is one of those series that pulls you in slowly and then doesn’t let go. It’s a Chinese fantasy drama set in a world where people train to fight evil using spiritual powers. That might sound typical, but the way this story unfolds is anything but.The characters are deep and complicated. You don’t just watch them—you start to understand them, root for them, and sometimes even get frustrated with them. The friendship at the center of the story is powerful and emotional, and it’s portrayed in a way that feels real and earned.
The show takes its time, especially in the beginning, but once it gets going, it’s full of mystery, action, and moments that hit hard. The music is beautiful, the costumes are detailed, and the world-building is impressive. It’s not just about magic and fighting—it’s about loyalty, choices, and how people deal with pain and responsibility.
If you’re into stories that make you think and feel, and you don’t mind a slow burn that pays off, The Untamed is worth checking out
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