Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
My mental health has never been the same
(Apologies if my review doesn't get through to you, it’s my first one on this site. And I'm not really good with words please bear with me.)My review: Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it.
Thank you for reading.
Just kidding... I actually don't know where to start but I have so many words to say about this drama. One thing is that it is definitely a 'need to watch in your lifetime' kind of drama (imo). I watched it last summer and It has become one of my favorite dramas of all time. I'll always hold it in a very special place in my heart. No matter how many times you rewatch The Untamed, it'll never get tiring. The Untamed is SO well produced and the writing is so well-thought-out. Everything from the story, acting, stunning costumes, props, details, cinematography, etc. is just beautifully well done. This is a type of show that leaves you hanging and craving for more even if it has ended. And it is perfect for me. Pretty boys and girls, angst, action, an interesting plot, etc. If you like all those things and don’t mind atrocious CGI and/or some plot holes, then this is the right show for you! (The writing is so good it’ll make you forget the bad CGI..)
So I wanted to watch this drama for FUN since I had nothing to do but oh my… I did not know what I was getting into. I only heard that this drama is insanely popular and that it's based on the novel mdzs and it has a donghua. Note: at this time s3 of the donghua just started airing and I had just finished reading the novel svsss (one of MXTX’s books). And based on the description "Two fruity soulmates face treacherous schemes and uncover a dark mystery linked to a tragic event in the past.” or whatever, I was convinced.
Spoilers!
STORY:
At first, the story seems quite confusing and chaotic because of all the random names getting thrown around, and *that* opening scene made it even more confusing. But after watching a few more episodes, I was HOOKED. (It was slow 1-10 episodes but once you get over that little boulder it gets much better) I thought, why didn't I watch this masterpiece sooner?!? While I was watching eps 3-33, I totally forgot that we were still in the flashback, I guess I was too immersed in the story lol. I have to say, there are some(many) plot holes and unanswered questions that made me a bit confused. Ex. The yin tin iron shit, where was Wei Wuxian’s body during those 16 yrs, the dead cat thing, I can name so much more. I know some of them were made up by the production team but most likely, you can find some of the answers in the novel, “mo dao zu shi” or “Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation” by MXTX (GO READ IT!). But since it is a live-action and some of the things are different (compared to the original source) it can be based from your interpretation as well. (Some just flat out don't make sense so it's fine too if you don't loll) Aside from that, the story is so well-written; it’s a masterpiece. (special thanks to MXTX) I finished the drama in 3-4 days…. I suggest you watch it at your own pace because you'll probably miss a lot of important details. And if you do, just rewatch it hahaha. But it also goes by very fast! The story is definitely one of the strongest things about The Untamed. It is so engaging and I absolutely love the complexity and layers each character has. There are so many plot twists I was appalled. And it was an EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER. One thing about The Untamed is that it’ll make you cry! There are many tragedies and there were so many moments where I cried, felt angry, genuine joy, it’s just an experience.
The story portrays; betrayal, self-sacrifice, exploitation by society, guilt, forgiveness, abandonment, family dynamics, sibling love(literally and not literally), the changing of values and the challenges that come with it, standing up for what is right no matter the consequences but still taking responsibility, how actions can affect the people you love, judgment/evaluation of others, living with regret, living regardless even with regret, unconditional love, etc. In conclusion, a lottt of trauma.
I loved the characters. Esp the main character(s) and side characters. I loved all the character's interactions with each other and I loved the Wangxian (wwx & lwj) dynamic so much. Their relationship was so pure and enduring. The sacrifices that they made for each other speaks volume! Kinda wish they communicated better tho (I’m talking about during the flashback, but I heard that mdzs Wangxian were worse at communicating so I’ll let them off. )Their trust and care for each other were so enduring. Lwj’s unconditional love for wwx >>> And the way censorship made their relationship seem even more romantic loll. But a funny thing was that I didn’t know what “censorship” was while watching The Untamed. I was sitting and waiting hopelessly for a kiss but that was fine by me. The romantic subtext was there and I took all of the crumbs! Although we got that ending, what I got out of it was: Wangxian married with a son!
Anywho, I really loved how complex the characters were. You'll end up questioning yourself and ur morals. The saying "What is black and what is white? Who is right and who is wrong?" is such a strong message and can be applied to literally ALL of the characters in the story (ahem except Jin Guangshan). It can even be applied to the “Villains”. Plus, their story is so tragic; I felt empathy and sympathy for the so-called “villains” of the story (Xue Yang and/or Jin Guangyao- from some viewers' point of view, not mine personally). They have so much depth in their backstories and layers to their character which IMO, makes them SO human and that’s what makes it sorta hard to hate them (ignoring the killing people part and uhh marrying your sister part…). I am not justifying their actions in any way, but I can understand why they did what they did. So I really can’t hate them completely. It makes you question, are they really villains? Are they really the villains for trying to survive the cruel world and society’s harsh circumstances that were put on them by force? Is it really their fault that they grew up in shitty environments, not getting the love and support they deserved- which shaped them into who they are now? Is what they did really wrong when they’re the ones who were wronged first? Yes but no. No, but yes. That’s up to you to decide. And I really think that's the fun part about The Untamed. It’s all up to your interpretation.
ACTING/CAST:
Their performance was spectacular! Everyone and esp Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo did so well with their roles. The side actors really impressed me as well! I did not know that almost all of the actors and actresses were rookie actors at all. (Some I could tell, but others I didn’t think so). I can tell that everyone put their hearts into bringing their characters to life and for that, I applaud them! (Also props to all the producers, directors, editors, prop artists, stylists, costume designers, + everyone who took part in the making of this drama!)
MUSIC:
PLEASE…. listen to the tracklist of the osts. Every single one of them is so beautifully composed. I also really liked that some of the actors sang their characters’ song likee a multi-talented cast? I see you. But I think my favorite music pieces of all were the instrumental/ the music that played during the drama. IT EITHER HAD ME CRYING OR LISTENING & ADMIRING ITS BEAUTY… listening to it made me transcend to another dimension. The production of the music was absolutely magnificent. The creativity was *chefs kiss* and I loved everything about it. Shout out to the producers and the people who composed the pieces! They knew what they were doing when they composed the instrumentals for The Untamed. I absolutely loved how the instrumental clashed with the reoccurring theme of some of the characters using instruments as weapons/ using music-based-cultivation (and how some used their instrument to influence others- in this case, the music influenced me). I loved that music played a crucial part in the show/story and the producers were really smart in using that to build like the whole aura(?) which I thought made the drama more complete. Idk how to really explain this but I feel like the music was just the cherry on top for me. (Again, go listen to the tracklist! You won’t regret it.)
REWATCH VALUE:
ABSOLUTELY. I can’t even count how many times I’ve sat down and searched “The Untamed” and binge-watched it. Idk if it's just me (aka someone who gets fixated on every show they finish), but The Untamed is SO rewatch material. You’ll never get tired of rewatching it and you’ll always catch details you probably never noticed before. Anyways, yes the rewatch value is out of the world.
OVERALL:
Absolutely one of my favorite dramas of all time. And it’s an honor writing my first review on MDL dedicated to The Untamed. I will never forget this drama, the impact it has on me ( and my mental health…) is impeccable. Although I didn’t expect it to end up that way, I was still really satisfied. (I was crying when they separated.) But Wwx traveling around the world, finally finding peace, playing “Wuji", then lwj calling his name at the end and wwx smiling brightly was REALLY IT. I loved it. I’m also looking forward to reading the novel! (go read it) Although I am quite regretful that I didn't watch this masterpiece sooner, I'm glad I've been introduced to such a wonderful story and great actors/actresses! (Sorry for this long review and don't mind my English)
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This show is incredibly addicting!
I have never sat through a series this long before, but the series is such an emotional roller coaster its difficult to keep yourself down to under 3 or 4 episodes at one sitting. I got into the show thinking it looked like a comedy from the ads but it is WAY more than that. Its a peculiar blend of buddy movie comedy, detective series, crouching-tiger style flying swordsman action, some game-of-thrones style family drama where everyone is related to everyone and trying to kill each other over revenge over one slight or another, toss in a couple of Ray Harryhousen style movie monsters with a touch of the walking dead. The sets and scenery are stunningly beautiful (except for a couple where you can see the ground is painted canvas). The casting and acting is top notch, the effects are very credible usually considering that it is such a low budget series. The music is breathtaking (seriously, I still run into the music in my YouTube feed and still tear up a little bit to some of the songs). The comedy is often laugh out loud funny. A couple making me nearly fall off the couch laughing (and I then had to run to google to do some research on the joke's context). The fighting is well done, particularly when you are wrapped up in the story. This is the only show I've ever seen where as soon as I finished the last episode, I seriously considered immediately starting over at episode 1. I only wished I could erase my brain to watch it for the first time all over again. One warning, you might want to keep a box of Kleenex nearby, maybe a bottle of wine or perhaps a therapist because the tragedy in the series is just as sad as the comedy is funny. And when all is said and done, it ends up heartwarming. To me this show is a 10 out of 10.When I finished it I did go searching the internet and found it also has a book, a comic book, and an anime (which just finished up) called Mo Dao Zu Shi and The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (respectively). Its really that addicting.
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Poorly done as an adaptation; Poorly done as a stand-alone show
The biggest problem about this show is undoubtedly the script. The pacing is too slow and the plot-writing is all over the place. The first 16 or so episodes are nearly incomprehensible plot-wise and I am convinced everyone who finished watching this show only powered through for the romance or the characters, because the storytelling in this show was so messy I'm sure nobody really understood it. The Untamed also tends to be overly dialogue heavy and compresses all necessary information into a long infodump, like it did during the last few episodes. Also, I can tolerate plotholes in stories but the amount of plotholes in this show is unforgivable, especially because most of them could have been avoided.One of the best aspects of MDZS is its nuanced exploration of moral themes, but all that was completely scrapped and flattened in this adaptation. Wei Wuxian's character here is completely different. The thing about his original character is that he's supposed to be a genius who created the demonic path. In this show, it was Xue Yang's grandfather who created it. And worse, everything that Wei Wuxian does in The Untamed can be done by literally everyone else. Why the hell was Wen Qing able to manipulate the puppets? Why was Su She able to manipulate Wen Ning? Everything that made Wei Wuxian special in the original novel was scrapped. The reason why everyone was so terrified of him was because he literally could do things nobody else could. He was an unpredictable wild card. The show made him look like a pathetic victim when he was supposed to be a dangerous, unstable demonic cultivator. Making him completely innocent and pushing all his crimes onto Jin Guangyao ruined the nuance and complexity of both their characters.
Another issue is Wen Qing. Her character in this show is basically a deus ex machina that randomly appears whenever the heroes are in trouble. The thing about her is that she does so many things that effectively make her a traitor towards the Wen Sect, and the Wens KNOW this, and yet she never suffers any real consequences for her actions. There's no real risk involved because all she gets are cheap threats in the throne room that never amount to anything bigger than a verbal warning. And the most idiotic thing about this is that despite the fact that the Wens know that she is helping Wei Wuxian, they literally do not do anything to monitor her. I mean, Wen Ruohan knows she's not 100% on their side, why would he give her so much freedom and even entrust important missions to her? It makes no sense. Her character feels terribly hollow because she's set up to be this trapped hostage character but the audience never feels scared or concerned for her no matter what she does because she ALWAYS gets away with it. And after all those threats towards Wen Ning's life, what did the Wens do when they found out she saved Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng? They just threw them in jail. That's it. Then what the hell were all those dramatic threats for? Just for show? And how did she escape the Jin cultivators and end up in the market? She was shown being dragged along with the other Wens, and then suddenly she's in the market with no explanation whatsoever. How did she escape and get there? With her Mary Sue powers?
There's also the weird Jiang Cheng/Wen Qing romantic subplot that came out of nowhere with no buildup whatsoever and then was dropped randomly.
Bad script aside, the sets and costumes were lovely. The OST itself was superb, but the problem was how overly repetitive the editing felt. WuJi and Yi Nan Ping are wonderful pieces but they were overplayed in every scene. Fighting scenes were awful, no way around that. Shoutout to Wang Yibo though because his fight scenes are actually quite nice to watch because of how well he executes them. Was not at all surprised to find out he is a dancer because it really shows in his movements.
The acting was subpar, but I l did lower my standards here considering nearly everyone in the cast were either idols or newbies. Xiao Zhan did well to show Wei Wuxian's mischievousness, but he failed to embody the character of the Yiling Laozu, who was supposed to be terrifying and intimidating. The parts where he was supposed to be scary didn't feel that way at all. Wang Yibo did pretty well as Lan Wangji. I didn't like his acting in the first 12 or so episodes, but he really blossomed later on and made me love Lan Zhan even more. Xuan Lu was simply perfect as Jiang Yanli and is (in my opinion) the actor who did the best in the show. Wang Zhuocheng really overacted at times, but I think he did fairly well for his first big role, and Jiang Cheng IS a difficult character. Wen Qing's actress is the worst of the main cast. She can cry and smile, but when the scene calls for more nuanced acting she falls flat. Even Lan Wangji shows more emotion than she does. They really should have picked a better actress for such a prominent character.
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~ The Untamed offers a stunning, emotional live action adaptation of the novel that tugs at the heartstrings of viewers.
~ Xiao Zhan and Wang Yi Bo, despite some hiccups, perform with utmost beauty and charisma in their roles, portraying Wei Wu Xian and Lan Wang Ji exactly how I imagine them in the novel. Not to mention they are utter eye candy.
~ The bond between WWX and LWJ, the soul twisting plot that overwhelms you, and the mesmerizing soundtrack are what make this drama truly stand out from the rest.
Let me start off by saying that I *highly,* recommend reading the novel Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation prior to watching this live action adaptation. I first watched the live action, and while it is captivating on its own, the novel offers a much more detailed explanation of the plot and layout of events, which guided my understanding of the entire series. More over, there are actual BL scenes in it to fulfill your craving for their intimacy!
Now, I want to say that like many, I was confused when watching the first few episodes of the drama. It seemed a bit off-putting and I felt as though I was bombarded with too many unknown characters and elements. I urge all of you to stick around and overcome this hurdle, as the rest of the episodes allow the story to fall into place.
As for the acting, Xiao Zhan and Wang Yi Bo steal the show. Xiao Zhan does a wonderful job grasping the mischief-loving yet silent hero of WWX, while Wang Yi Bo boasts a seemingly cold, yet tender hearted LWJ. My heart melts in all of their interactions, especially with how much you can tell LWJ feels for WWX and protects him, just with expressions.
The show as any, of course, is not without faults. Due to the censorship in China, some of the iconic lines and scenes from the novel are altered or entirely eliminated, thus leaving fans of the novel with feelings of something missing. Overall, however, they are doing well with what they are able to.
Please, just do yourself a favor and give this show a good try. I am quite reserved with my ratings and have few dramas that I score greater than 8.5. The OST is beautiful as well, the lyrics to each song are relevant to the story and characters, grasping their pain, emotions, and regrets into sweet melodies. Overall, a definite drama to remember for many years to come.
Cet avis était-il utile?
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I FINALLY UNDERSTAND THE HYPE
If you're considering watching this at all, DO IT!As someone that had never watched a Chinese drama before, I had no idea what to expect when starting The Untamed. I have had it recommended to me countless times but always put it off because of the length of the series. Finally, I figured I should go ahead and give it a shot - and I immediately fell in love with it. This is one of the best series I have EVER seen, and I don't say that lightly.
There's no way I could ever give a proper summary of this show without spoiling some major plot points, but this story explores the world of cultivators, where warring clans bring about questions of honor, loyalty, and trust. Wei Wuxian is our main character and is wonderful to follow not because he is without faults, but because he has many. Throughout the (admittedly, messy) timeline of this show, the viewer watches Wei Wuxian face hardships that make him question time and time again if he is doing the right thing. After you watch him promise to "live with no regrets", you see it constantly become more difficult for him to do so.
There is nothing better than a show that properly delivers a complicated protagonist that makes the viewer question if they agree with their actions. This is done exceptionally well in this show. Additionally, I found that the political issues between clans were very interesting and engaging, bringing up complex topics where you can see both sides. This adds to the complexity of Wuxian's character extremely well. Wuxian is constantly battling between maintaining order by doing what everyone wants him to, and diverging from the status quo to do what he thinks should be done - and this gets him in a lot of trouble. Plus, the relationship between Wuxian and Lan Zhan is just wonderful; I know a lot of people weren't happy that this isn't explicitly queer, but believe me, it may as well be. I was worried that because this is a much longer show than I'm used to that it would get boring and repetitive, but it never did. Each story arc connected to the next perfectly, and continued to build until the very last episode. The only issue I could see people having with this one is the time jumps, which as long as you're paying attention, I don't think are too bad. Same with the names of the characters, as many of them have multiple names. As long as you can get through that, this show is absolutely wonderful. It's beautifully emotional, visually engaging, and will have you staying up late to watch another episode. Deserves no less than a 10/10.
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it's phenomenal ?
a perfect screenplay, a perfect cast and brilliant music and the cute silly bts moments...once you watch it, there's no going back. you are forever a part of this world called The Untamed. life is never the same. Both Wang YiBo as HanGuang Jun and Xiao Zhan as The YiLing LaoTzu have done a brilliant job, and so has Wang Zhuo Cheng, Xue Yang and everyone else. and the OST is so good!!! I have the entire OST on my most played list. no matter what, once you watch this, you will keep coming back for it.
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My House Didn’t Burn Down
Started watching this when I was evacuated for a wildfire threatening my home and it was so epic I almost forgot about my house potentially burning down while watching it in a borderline deranged state at three in the morning. Preferred rewatching it without the 500+ AQI and hell-colored skies though.10/10, The Untamed invented love.
Would recommend watching when fleeing a wildfire!
I wish there was a prop rating because holy shit I would dock it a point for the dog puppet that shows up, I felt like I suddenly was watching Wei Wuxian doing community theatre when it was on screen.
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This drama was a masterpiece. They didin't stray too much from the novel whitch I like, and most importantly they made it as close to a BL as possible in my opinion. It just didn't feel like a bromance whitch I adore...every time Lan Zhan looked at Wei Ying you could feel the love he has for him and whenever something bad happened to WY you were right there beside LZ feeling everything he feels. This is the first time in a long while that I could feel so much emotion from a character. So i think it suffces to say that the acting was superb. All the actors did such an amazing job, especially the two leads. The music was fenomenal, not one bad song. I really reccomend this drama to everyone, you just can't not like it.
P.S. For the ones who want WY and LZ being all lovey dovey you should read the novel, it's completed and the extra chapers are basically WY and LZ in the honeymoon phase.
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What a shame
As someone who read the novel back when it started, I honestly don't understand why so many people like this adaptation.I've more or less only zapped through the last 20 or so episodes, I simply couldn't stand it anymore.
Even looking at it from a pure watcher's point of view, it is a pretty bad series.
1. It's horribly cheap.
Be it the costumes, wigs, props, or CGI, I've seen web mini-series from unknown studios with a higher value, even projects from students tend to be of a higher quality.
Every high jump is basically in slow-motion, accompanied by wind sounds while their robes and hair are more or less still, fights are the same but with added wooshing and awkward choreography that looks like children imitating the martial arts movie they just watched.
2. Bad acting.
Most of the actors wobble between passable and downright horrendous, exaggerated facial expressions, no emotions convoyed via eyes, they pretty much look like what they are – actors instead of the characters they should be.
3. Characterisation is way off.
I'm genuinely sad that the adaptation was made in China, the novel has some of the most interesting characters I've come across but thanks to censorship laws, they turned all of them into uninspired stereotypes.
The bad acting does the rest, at some points it reminded me of the hilariously bad Kung-Fu movies from the 60s and 70s, with their caricature characterisation that makes you wonder if everyone is somewhat mentally handicapped.
4. No balance, no nuances.
The bad guys are overpowered beyond what's believable, and they are evil for evilness sake, just like the good guys can do no wrong and are good from the bottom of their heart.
It's a favourite trope in China, winning against the ultimate evil, far more powerful than everyone else, but the good guys still manage to defeat it after many hardships, doesn't matter if it's reasonable or not.
5. Filler.
So many unnecessary filler. “The Untamed Special Edition” already proved that 30 whole episodes could have been cut out without any losses – and it shows.
I've seen both variants, the special edition at least held my interest somewhat while the series was so boring that I played games while watching some of it, otherwise I would have fallen asleep.
They failed to adequately show high-tension moments, partially because of the low-quality props, partially because of bad direction and acting, I laughed several times due to how silly it looked but not even once have I felt on edge.
All of this is from a viewer's perspective, if I factor in the source material, I would have to give it negative points.
It's an insult to call this “adaptation” when nothing from the novel was preserved, be it the story or characterisation, if you give them different names and show it to me I would have never believed that it's supposed to be MDZS.
At least for me, it's one of the least enjoyable series I watched in my 30 years of consuming Asian movies/series, and as an “adaptation”, it makes me feel sorry for Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - she deserved much better.
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This is one of the best dramas I have watched in a while, not in while but it's definitely going in my top3. I actually waited till it finished airing cause I like binge watching more than waiting every week, which is a torture
Firstly, I wasn't into it in the first two episodes, but the cast got my attention specially xiao zhan.
Then the moment I reached episode 6-7, something changed and I found myself totally and completely into it. I finished the drama in three and half days. Watching 12-14 episodes everyday.
The story only keeps getting better and better, there's no filler episodes or drag at any point, it's not slow paced or fast paced.
Secondly, I love the underlying theme... That was constant throughout the whole series. The conflict between moralities, individual and societal, the conflict between conscience.. Individual and collective. How the crowd follows whoever is the leader without having to form their own mind and opinion, and whoever contradicts is termed evil , the selfishness of the so called leaders, looking for a scapegoat to blame. Even though this is fiction, this theme very much applies to the present world.
Thirdly, the characters there's no absolute black and white. I love how they portrait the grey characters.
And my favourite is obviously wei wu xian, who I can't stop thinking about ever since I started watching this.
Fourthly, loved the acting. My only problem, that too just a little, was the person taking the role of wen qing. I haven't read the novel so I don't know how she is supposed to be. But there were times I couldn't feel what she's trying to convey.
Other than that, the acting were pretty fantastic. Xiao zhan and Wang yi bo were so so good. The chemistry between the cast was also really good.
The soundtracks are pretty amazing too.
As for rewatch value, I'm gonna go back and watch it again. And I think that's the only way I can somehow get over it
Overall, amazing drama. I feel so satisfied watching it. I laughed, I cried. I had an emotional roller-coaster ride. There wasn't a moment that I wanted to skip. Applause to the writer and actors.
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