Well-written story with a stunning setting, costumes, and acting; absolutely beautiful
This is my first time watching a Chinese traditional drama and I enjoyed it so much. I thought that the 50 episodes is too long but after binge-watching the whole show, I really want to see more. The first few episodes were a little bit confusing to understand the concept and flow of the story but after watching few more episode, I was already captivated with their cultivation world. I admit that there are few episodes that made me feel bored but honestly it didn’t affect my overall impression to the show.The character design and location of the scenes are fascinating. It was convincing and realistic setting, obviously the crew did a great job filming it. Also, I was amazed with the editing skills and animation quality, it was pretty good and well suited for the concept. I loved how they presented the different skills and abilities of most of the popular cultivators and how they presented the intense fighting scenes of the clashing of clans, it was so intense.
Wei Ying and Lan Zhan are worthy to be the main lead. The two of them are killing me with their chemistry thanks to Sean Xiao and Wang Yibo. Although it was only a bromance compare to the BL story from the novel, it was still lovely. Both of them really brings joy and excitement every time they shared a scene together. Wei Wu Xian being the energetic one and Lan Wang Ji being the serious one were a perfect match. One of the reason why I watched this is also because I really like Wang Yibo and lead me to this drama. The drunk Lan Zhan is my favorite scene of them hahaha it so cute. The last few episodes made me realize how strong the love of them for each other, I was deeply touched that Lan Zhang are always on Wei Ying’s side despite the hate he received from the world. No doubt, it was love.
The acting from the rest of the cast were all very good. They were perfectly in character and delivers the role and emotion needed in each scenes very well. I was super annoyed with the antagonist, cried every time someone close to Wei Ying died, and feel the stress from the plot of the show. Clearly, it was a job well done acting from each of the cast. Then for the music, it was all good and perfectly sync to the scenes. Whenever I hear a sound of a flute, The Untamed will always be the first thing that come to my mind.
After watching the show, I’m going to read the novel specially because I want to know the original story of it showing the BL part of it which were really the thing I want to see in the drama. I hope someday a season 2 will happen and that they no need to change the cast because I am well satisfied from each one of them.
The Untamed made its way to enter my top list of favorite drama of all time and the only thing that I regretted is that I am too late from watching it. I really love how beautiful the story is and how it was exceptionally different from what I typically watch. This kind of storyline is new for me and I found it as a good thing because I do enjoy it so much. The love story of Lan Zhan and Wei Ying will be the pioneer of BL historical-fantasy drama in my heart.
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The right balance of Adventure, Drama, & Bromance
[Spoiler-Free]Just gonna give a few pointers that are less-spoken about since so many folks have already said good and bad things about The Untamed
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Good points:
(1) Although comedy is not the main genre of The Untamed, the humour, banters, and silly side of many character's personalities make the show very light to watch. If you're a cry-er, you will cry. But it won't feel heavy on you and your mood won't go down after watching any of the heavy scenes. I believe this is not easy to accomplish for a director but these folks managed it and I love that!
(2) It's taken from a BL manhua and simmered down for releasing publicly. So there is an element of bromance that is so perfectly balanced that it all depends on the perspective of the viewer. If you want to see Brotherhood, you will see brotherhood. If you want to see BL, you will see BL. If you want to see deep friendship, you will deep friendship. The chemistry between Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo is so much better than any of the regular couples I have seen. If this was a proper BL series, they would be my favourite couple. Actually, they are my favourite couple nonetheless!
(3) If you are a fan of animes like Naruto, Dragon Ball, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, The Last Airbender, you will definitely feel similar adventure vibes from this show. Following on their journey through thick and thin was super fun.
(4) Wuji, the theme song. I fell in love. It's sung by the lead actors too. I have been listening to Korean songs for 2 years but never tried learning the lyrics even once. But this song was so beautiful that I had to learn it by heart and sing it out loud. Even if you don't watch The Untamed, do listen to Wuji.
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I have not rated this 10 for 2 reasons:
(1) The plot involved the use of many magic/spiritual items or techniques. Certain fight scenes heavily rely on how the magic works. I felt that it was sometimes explained in detail and sometimes I didn't understand how it worked and got lost in the logic of the magic. There were moments where magic worked conveniently for the fight but I couldn't understand anymore as I got lost. Even though this is not the agenda of the show, as the premise is circled around magic, a decent explanation would have been preferred.
So here it lost half a point.
(2) This is actually my first C-drama. I was aware that Chinese dramas acting/directorial skills cannot be compared with K-drama, but I still have a little expectation. There were moments where the acting was exceptional by the lead actors as well as the side actors. But it JUST didn't hit the mark sometimes. That plus the action scenes were decent. Production was focused more on the beautiful sets and costumes, but they could've actually spent a little on animation and graphics to depict the action scenes better.
So here it lost half a point.
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I'm nitpicking so much because I loved The Untamed. I loved Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. I loved Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo. I loved it a lot more than Kdramas tbh. I was a Cdrama skeptic before this. Now, I cannot wait to watch more (^_^)
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...I Love It !
At this point ...The Untamed is my favorite !!!
Awesome performance by the main characters Xiao Zhan and Wang Yi Bo and also a big thumbs up for all the other actors/actresses ! 10/10 :)
You really get carried away in the story...From the moment you start watching, you want to keep looking Non-stop :)
(Anyway i did ... :p )
Thumbs up for the Costume Designers as well ... !
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One of a Kind - My all time fave
My all time fave Cdrama - Love so muchI love The Untamed, Cdrama I watched it twice in complete series (1 to 50) and still watching my favorite episodes like Episode 2, 24, 25, Episode 33, 43 , 46 and 50 until now in Netflix. The storyline was really amazing, the character development of each characters were really superb! The OST was really stunning and my morning music.
I was so impressed with Lan Zhan/Wanji and Wui Xian characters , that's why I followed them in real life hehehe Wang Yibo and Sean Zhao thru Instagram. The costumes was really fantastic! It represents the good and the evil. But at the end of the story the truth will reveal. And that's why I am so in-loved with this drama.
I hope I can still find a story like this in the future. Censorship is not an issue to me. I will still continue to watch this over an over again.
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The Untamed Changed my life
Honestly before this drama I don’t know what I was doing, I lived an honest couple months before I stumbled across this. It was defined fate. To this day the sound of Wu Ji makes me tear up, even in broad daylight. Now as for the show the story is censored from the original novel, even with that being the case the two leads portray exactly what they are supposed to. Point being is that I can tell they love each other, they really are soulmates. Each scene is so crystal clear, each ost is on my playlist. Wu Ji chorus addition was my number one played song this year and I continue to listen to it.Cet avis était-il utile?
A must see!
Ok, first let me just start by saying that this is by no means a flawless drama. It has flaws, specially in the production and in the technical aspects. For example, the lightning can sometimes be a bit off, as well as the cgi. These are things I personally can look past when it comes to C-dramas and The Untamed is certainly not an exception. Because the good points definitly outweighs the flaws and as someone who has watched the show three times now I can't recommend this drama more!Characters:
I'll start with the characters as I think this is the strongest aspect of this drama. Our two main characters are very likeable and very well played by the actors. I have to give major probs to Xiao Zhan for his amazing portrayal of Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian's relationship with not only lan wangji but also with his siblings are heartwhelming and heartbreaking at the same time. There really isn't much more here for me to write without me writing an entire essay which I want to avoid.
Plot:
Before watching this drama I was told that the plot is the weakest point and honestly I really don't get that? The plot is not the most original but it is well crafted and very emotional. I will be honest, I am a total sucker for these kinds of storylines and character plots so it's not super odd that I love it. I usually don't like too make paralleles or draw comparisons to other films/dramas but I will say that The Untamed has a bit of a Lord of the Rings esque theme to it, and I mean that in the best way possible since the Lord of the rings movies are my favorite movies of all time. I mention this because going into this drama I though it would just be your usual constume c-drama.
Score/music:
The music in this drama is absolutly stunning, and whenever I hear just a second of the score I get chills. One of the best, if not the best c-drama score ever.
Production/technical aspects:
As I mentioned in the beginning, this is where the drama lacks the most. Some of the camerawork is a bit odd and overall seems a bit cheap? at times.
Conclusion:
Despite some of the minor flaws I could not give this drama anything other then a 10. Because at the end of the day those flaws didn't take away from the overall story for me personally, as well as this being the most emotionally invested i've ever been with a c-drama. The Untamed will leave you empty by ep.50 and you will never really get over this show, I know i'll never be.
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Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
"Who cares about the crowded broad street, I'll walk on my single plank bridge till it's dark."
The Untamed is an enchanting drama.As someone who hadn't read the novel or even heard much about Untamed before watching the drama, i fell in love with this story in the first 5 minutes of watching it.. U might think that there isn't romance in the drama, but if you just look at it carefully, you can see the sparks flying between Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian.
Story: If you have read the novel, u won't be disappointed, drama stays faitful to the novel in so many ways. The romance part is made into bromance. But don't be fooled. Yes, there will not be kissing or confessing their love, but there will be many moments that will make u giggle because of their sparks. What they couldn't express in words, they expressed them in the way they look at each other and the way they subtly touch.
To those who don't have any knowledge of untamed, it tells a story about Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian is playful and mischievous, while his counterpart Lan Zhan is uptight and virtous.
All Wei Wuxian ever wanted was justice. "I, Wei Wuxian, wish that i can always stand with justice and live with no regrets."
So when faced with injustice, he can't just stay put and because of this he faces many obstacles and this ruins his reputation. He is faced with disdain due to his decisions and deemed as someone who walks on a dark path. He becomes an outcast, a threat that must be exterminated only because Wei Wuxian can't watch the sects do injustice to innocent people.
Lan Zhan, who is from Cloud Recess, a very conservative sect. He feels the same way as Wei Wuxian, but tries to stop Wei Wuxian from being reckless, because he knows other sects will try to hurt him. Lan Zhan still always helps and protects Wei Wuxian, even though he doesn't follow him on his "single plank bridge". Only after losing Wei Wuxian, he understands that all he wants is to stand next to Wei Wuxian, no matter what happens. "Who is right? Who is wrong? What is black? What is white?"
Cast: PERFECTION. XIAO ZHAN IS THE PERFECT WEI WUXIAN AND WANG YIBO IS THE PERFECT LAN ZHAN.
The whole cast was amazing, but naturally these two stood out the most.
Xiao Zhan plays the playful Wei Wuxian like he is Wei Wuxian himself. His smile lights up the room and i noticed myself smiling whenever he smiled. He also portayed his pain so realistically that i cried so much. I really have no words to describe how amazing his performance was. Xiao Zhan portayed Wei Wuxian with his smile and face, while Wang Yibo portayed Lan Zhan with his eyes and subtle moves.
To Xiao Zhan's counterpart, the very talented Wang Yibo was the perfect choice. He played the stern and emotionless Lan Zhan so well. Both men are absolutely gorgeous yet handsome. The way Wang Yibo conveyed Lan Zhan's feelings with just his eyes and subtle touches really made an impact on me. His acting was top notch. He didn't say anything yet his eyes were telling the whole story to me. The confusion, worry, pain and love, you could just see it and feel it yourself. I just cannot imagine anyone else as Lan Wangji. I mean i was already very familiar with these men but now i'm even more obsessed.
Jiang Cheng was played by Wang Zhuo Cheng and i feel like he was a perfect pick too. He played Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian's "brother". Jiang Cheng's father took Wei Wuxian in when he was a small child, so Wei Wuxian grew up with Jiang Cheng and his sister Jiang Yanli. Jiang Cheng doesn't often say how fond of Wei Wuxian he is and is always getting angry and scolding Wei Wuxian. Deep down he loves him like a brother and cares for him deeply and is put into a hard situation when Wei Wuxian decides to stand by Lan Zhan and justice. He feels like Wei Wuxian is betraying the Yunmeng sect and often begs Wei Wuxian to stop and to just come home to Lotus Pier with Yanli and him. Wang Zhuo Cheng portayed Jiang Cheng's conflict very well. "When you’re standing on their side, you’re the bizarre genius, the miraculous hero, the force of the rebellion, the flower that blooms alone. But the second your voice differs from theirs, you’ve lost your mind, you’ve ignored morality, you’ve walked the crooked path"
Other cast was amazing too but aside from these actors the ones that stood out to me the best were Qi Pei Xin as Jin Ling and Meng Zi Yi as Wen Qing.
Music: 10/10. I Love the fact that Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo sing the theme song. I'm listening to the soundtrack album on a loop.
Rewatch Value: Immediately after watching Untamed, i wanted to start from episode 1 again. It's been a couple days since i watched it and i'm already wanting to go back.
I HIGHLY SUGGEST THIS DRAMA TO EVERYONE.
This drama became my favorite drama in just a couple of minutes and now i can't get over it. This drama will permanently stay with me for the rest of my life. The powerful message this drama sends to you is unreal. Watch it, You won't regret it.
"If the face says nothing, listen to the heartbeat”- Hanguang Jun / Lan Zhan
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Worth it.
To be fair, I wanted to drop it halfway through.I have a hard time sticking to a story.
I usually drop them very fast.
But I'm glad I didn't.
I am really interested in Costume design and set designs when it come to shows, this did not let me down.
the music is also amazing.
50 episodes went by so fats.
My little breakdown:
This was my first Chines drama.
I read a lot of BL mangas/webtoons ever since 2013 and decided to give BL shows a try.
I didn’t read the books when I watched it. And without the comments on YouTube, there’s a lot I didn’t understand. I also hate flashbacks and this story has them (a lot of them).
The reason I kept coming was because my curiosity got the best of me “Why do all these people keep hyping this show up?”
I finished it thinking that after going through the first 20 episodes, I might as well push through.
Story wise, If you read a lot, it’s not world changing.
You probably read something similar before. But it’s done very well. The characters have good motives. You understand where they come from and why they make their decisions.
I like how characters aren’t portrayed as white or black, but as moral greys.
“It’s about perspective”
This story involves perspectives as a plot devise. I liked that a lot.
The writing is smart. I never felt like I had figured it all out before the characters did. This story doesn’t hold your hand either. You have to put in some involvement if you want the full story to make sense.
Aside from that, It’s censored (not a fan of that) But it’s done tastefully. You can tell that the main characters have chemistry. It takes a while but once the two grow close, they are truly close.
I do like a slow burner when it comes to romance and this fits the idea.
The story is also done in a way that asks you to rewatch it once it’s done. It has a rewarding felling after the first time watching.
For once, understanding the mystery doesn’t ruin the plot once it’s revealed. Instead it invites you to come back and try to figure more out on the second watch.
I felt proud rewatching the first episode after finishing the show, because what at first made me question if the story was just a mess, or one of those “I’ll explain it later” plots, revealed to be almost obvious on the second watch. It was nice for everything to make scenes without making me fell like I was just stupid all along.
I also enjoyed watching it on YT because the comments helped me understand what I might have missed during the episode. Or some easter eggs explained by native chines speakers and those that have read the book.
If you want to watch the show, I think that doing so on YouTube is the best.
The comments add to the experience! Just watch out for the replies below the comments (some of them spoil the plot by going into the books and further episodes) And read the comments after the episode is over, not before or during.
Everyone is praising this to the heavens already so I'll back off a bit. But if you have the time, it's worth the try.
Give it a shot.
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Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
The Untamed is good drama, i feel like its a need to watch drama.
The Untamed is a beautiful drama that you’ll never forget... the way lan WangJi loves wei WuXian is unexplainable, although with the china restriction the romance was great. If I sit down and think about it i realized there wasn’t exactly any flaws... i felt like the untamed would’ve been a greater drama than it already is if it had a sad ending- like i dont know what the heck is wrong with me.. I wanted to cry but i didnt cry.. the cliff scene is beautiful.The actors did so well. All of them fit their own roles and i dont know the acting was just perfectly perfect that I can’t say how perfect it is.
Like can you imagine anyone else playing their roles? who fits lan Zhan more than wang Yibo? Who can play wei WuXian better than Xiao Zhan? Who can have that innocent and cute energy like Yubin when playing winning? Who can roll their eyes better than Marius Wu while playing Jiang Cheng? All the cast was amazing and would never be able to find replacement.
The music is soooooo good especially ‘Bu Wang’ ‘WangXian/Wuji’ and the one Yubin sang oh also Xiao Zhan’s solo song
I’m currently rewatching but i do feel a bit dragged... so i cant finish it in 3 days like i did with the first time i watched.
Overall just watch it because its good and deserves its praise and much more, please support the actors too.
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I'm not over it yet ?
I really liked the drama. The emotions that stirred up while watching it are unexplainable. It's really great drama that everyone should watch. I was reluctant to watch before as watching whole 50 episodes was like something undoable for me. But here I finished watching the drama, and now it is my favorite one. I hope that I can rewatch it again if time permits.Edit: i re-watched this drama so many times since I watched it for the first time. I watched it's chibi version , donghua . And constantly reading updates on reddit.
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