The Untamed (2019)

one of the best asian dramas

I have finished this show a long time ago but I completely forgot writing a review about it.
I am not the kind of person who would rewatch a show only if it was THAT good.. well, this show was indeed, that good. A few months after watching it for the first time I binged watched it again and I have a feeling I will re-watch it sometime soon. I started reading the books after finishing a show and I loved it! I would recommend reading Grandmaster Of Demonic Cultivation because it is really great and has a lot more romantic/cute scenes between Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan.
Anyway, back to the show.
I usually skip through scenes when I get bored or just simply drop a drama if it has way too many filler episodes but with The Untamed I did not have to do either. I loved every single episode of it and I am pretty sure I would never get bored watching this show. I do not think that I will ever find another Chinese drama that I will love this much like I could talk about my love for WangXian for hours.
I do not want to spoil anything or talk more in-depth about this show, but I hope anyone who watches it will enjoy it just as much as I did.

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What I enjoyed:
• Themes: good vs evil, loyalty, selfishness vs selflessness, mob mentality and group think, justice vs revenge, exploitation and corruption of power, privilege, justice, forgiveness, relationships (familial, romantic, friendship, brotherhood, siblings, parent/child)
• Music: I loved the soundtrack. I enjoyed the instrumental soundtrack more than the character songs
• Locations and sets: I loved the whole aesthetic behind different sect/clan principal residences. Especially Cloud Recesses and Lotus Pier
• Love story: It was a joy to watch their beautiful, but tragic love story unfold
• LWJ looked fresh, beautiful, and ethereal during second half of the drama
• Costumes: The different colors made it easier to tell the different clans apart

What I didn’t enjoy:
• Majority of the female characters were killed off and there weren’t many to begin with. I think only 3 female characters with lines survived
• WWX looked terrible in the second half. I’m not sure if it was a director’s choice, but he looked sickly, unwell, and deathly pale
• LWJ becoming chief cultivator. This just doesn’t make any sense. LWJ has shown zero interest in leadership roles. He outright ignores the other cultivators so it’s unbelievable that he’d have any capital to procure the chief cultivator position.
• It took forever to wrap up the JGY arc. Seriously, just kill him already. I totally agreed with WWX when he blurted, “Can we stop talking and just start fighting?”
• Plot: plot was confusing for the first two episodes
• Extra long flashback: When the flashback ended, I couldn’t recall what happened in episode 1 and 2
• JGY has the most punchable face and his dimples did nothing for me. He was also hammy in several scenes
• Wang Yibo looked dazed, sleepy, and unfocused in early flashback scenes episodes. It was a bit distracting
• Styling: I wished the director would have styled WWX differently after his resurrection. But he essentially had the same hairstyle, same look, same feel
• LWJ appearance: He looked ethereal and beautiful, but I felt that Wang Yibo should have bulked up for the role. His character is supposed to be more muscular and stronger than WWX.
• Noticeable continuity/editing errors. On repeated watch, the errors will become more noticeable
• The Ending: Initially, I was so confused by the ending. Did they end up together? Did they go their separate way? After doing a bit of research, I came to the conclusion that they did spend some time apart, but reunited after some time.

Overall, I LOVED The Untamed. After watching the drama, I read the novel, watched the Special Edition, watched BTS videos, watched interviews with the actors, read up on all The Untamed content I could find, and watched fan made music videos. This is the only drama that has captivated me (I've seen several dramas)

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Didn't thought I'd fall in love

I do not like bromances usually, I hate the fact that in those stories, their is only too subtle insinuation and no kisses or anything but I almost do not consider The Untamed not being one, here's why:
The chemistry and acting of the actors are insane, you can truly feel the love between them, there is so much signs they love each other, especially Lan Zhan (with his headband for exemple).
Also the story is really good and I didn't see time pass during the 50 episodes, even though I usually have difficulties to finish series and also with this genra.
The costumes and settings are also stunning, I loved it! The theme songs are wonderful too and add so real immersion and emotions to the series.
The only sad point is that I watched it on Viki after seeing the traductions seemed more understandable for me than with the YouTube translation but ho god what a mistake. I had heard of the "soulmate scene' where Wei Wuxiang tells Lan Zhang who he is for him but it was transformed into "very good friend" in the Viki translation and I only realized at the end so I was waiting for it when it already had passed...Poor me, the real translation is much more meaningful so don't do the same mistake as me.

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Truly a masterpiece

What a truly great drama! At first I thought - the men in this show sure are feminine looking. By the end of the show I couldn't believe how great this show is. The amazing story, acting and music . Man oh man, the music is in a league of its own!
The plot has some amazing moments that just pull at your heartstrings. Interestingly, this show gets better every time you rewatch it! Don't be scared away by the Boy Love elements. It's really subtle if that's not your thing. I'm not into BL but by the end of this film I wanted the two male leads to live happily ever after!

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Fascinating Characters + Intricate Storytelling

The Untamed is a phenomenal Wuxia show with an excellent cast portraying dynamic characters in an intense action adventure setting. The heart of the drama centers on Wei Wuxian, and actor Xiao Zhan plays this role to perfection. He has a certain magnetism and presence on screen that makes it hard to look away from him. He could switch from utterly charming and mischievous to devastated and tortured flawlessly. Not to be outdone, Wang Yibo was the perfect casting choice for stoic and taciturn Lan Wangji. In some ways, I would argue he had the more difficult role. He had to be both standoffish and distant, yet relatable and accessible to the audience. These two lead actors truly had amazing chemistry together, and their performances are the reason this show is still so loved today. While this connection is not explicitly depicted as BL due to China’s censorship on homosexuality, I think it deftly overcomes those restrictions to create a remarkable and loving relationship between these two men.

Found families are an important aspect of Wei Wuxian’s story, and he manages to build three distinct families over the course of the show. I loved the dynamic relationships he builds with all of them (Wen Ning! Jiang Yan Li! Wen Qing! Lan Sizhui!), but the relationship most intriguing to me was between him and his adoptive brother, Jiang Cheng. The bonds of brotherhood are explored in all of its complexity between many of the characters, and no more so than Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian. The angst, love, and competitiveness these two experienced was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. I cared just as much about their relationship as I did about Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji’s connection by the end of the show.

While the characters are certainly the main attraction for me, the setting and cinematography were excellent too. The locations of Lotus Pier, Cloud Recess, and Nightless City are unforgettable. These aspects paired with a beautiful OST and intriguing plotline made for a memorable show. Probably the part I enjoyed the least was the structure of the opening act. The show begins with a three minute snippet of Wei Wuxian’s death before transitioning to the present day. The story only stays in the present day for two episodes before transition to an extended 30+ episode count of backstory. The backstory is certainly important to establishing the characters, story, and setting. However, I think starting the story with the backstory would have been less confusing than sandwiching it between the present day. I love when these sweeping sagas allow time for a well done epilogue, and The Untamed delivered big time. All of the plot points are tidily resolved and the characters (er, those still left alive) are given proper send-offs.

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Once you watch it, you won't get over it!

I mean what can I say that hasn't already been said?
It's a fantastic drama that made me care. It made me care so much that it's hard to believe these characters are fictional.
The themes in the story are just perfectly complex and very human, the acting is phenomenal, mainly for our two MLs. Seriously, Xiao Zhan really shines in this role. And their chemistry is beautiful. The drama versions of them are probably one of my all time favorite couples in fiction (and yes, it is canon).
All I can say is you will seriously be missing out on something truly beautiful if you don't watch it.

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It is simply perfection!

I liked how the actors played it. The atmosphere of the series was amazing.I could watch it again.In some moments it was very sad and in others it was funny.The places in the series are beautiful.I liked how suddenly Wei Wuxian became an enemy.I watched this series because it's very popular and I'm glad I watched it.I watched it for almost three months.After trying it, I had to watch similar series.When the series ended, I was sad because I wanted to keep watching as I enjoyed it.After trying the series, I had to watch the Anime version and read the Novel.I would simply rate it as one of the best series.

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i... am speechless by the amount of justice this does to the novel.

honestly, i read all of the novels way back and when the drama came out i was more than skeptical, considering people were saying it isn't very good. I personally found it great! xz and wyb are great actors and even though censorship exists, they managed to get the chemistry between wwx and lwj very intense.
just a thing, if you are a chinese speaker like myself, i would reccomend subtitles in simplified (or traditional idk what you know) because i've never heard of some of these terms. (obviously this does not affect the rating at all) and it might be because i am not from mainland china but taiwan, so that might be it.

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What a masterpiece!

How can I explain my love for this show? There aren't enough words. This is the first review I write, and that can only be for the best drama I've ever watched in my whole life: the untamed, of course. It is absolutely perfect: Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo did an amazing job portraying Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan, I cannot imagine anyone who could do it better! I loved almost every character (and not only the good ones) and every actor of this drama, they were perfect in every aspect! The soundtracks are wonderful, I cannot stop listening to them almost every day. The plot is original, engaging and really intense.
Rewatch value? Well, I have already seen it five times and I could watch it forever so... It's a 10 for me!

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Execution is not perfect but the drama is perfect nonetheless!

One of the most amazing story with characters that are so vivid amd understandable it's imposible not to feel for them. The Untamed has been graced with a cast perfect for the amazing chemistry they all have. And the script is so well done that the deveopment of the story can be considered even more cohesive than the original material of the novel. A must watch not only for the BL undertone between the two main lead but for the comment on our society that is one of the most interesting aspects of this drama.
This is a drama that proves how a well done script and a good casting can always overshadow techincal problems of the production.

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I feel bad for those who are yet to watch the untamed because why?

Preview;
I can’t believe I’m finally reviewing this in 2022, I first watched it 2022, and I just watching it yesterday for the nth times. One thing about this drama? You can’t get tired of watching it, I can watch it over and over and over again.
I remember the first time I watched it 2 years ago, it was really hard to understand, I was really close to just dropping the drama because I wasn’t understanding it, but I kept watching because of how handsome the actors and actresses were😉, and also apart from their looks, for some reason I could drop it.
ACTUAL REVIEW
The untamed is one of the best, if not the best drama I’ve ever seen in my whole life, I personally love every bit of it. It’s funny, it’s cute ( Lan Zhan and Wei ying moment) , also sad moments, tbh this drama is like a ride of rollercoaster.
ANYWAYS , YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY WATCH THE UNTANED 😍

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Actually i pretty honestly feels like this series is overhyped and overrated. I know most of the people liked it a lot, but it wasn't up to my alley. I love the main actors role a lot and that's why i gave it 6.5ish because of them and bcz of music.
Actually i have seen the anime that was the main reason i didn't like it that much, because i am someone who can not watch same thing again&again. So basically i knew the story so it was kinda boring to me. And honestly I didn't like an anime too that much. It was slow like the drama, and a complicated plot atleast for me. Chinese names and terms are pretty tough so i got a hard time to fully understand the thing. Actually TMOPB was much easier to remember characters name, and that drama still holds top place in my chinese drama genre.
And that is the reason i am reluctant and skeptical to watch "kings avatar", because i have seen the anime too, and didn't like it that much either. Most of the people here have seen anime and read the novel too, yet the liked the drama a lot. That's not my case, and that's why i do not watch live action version of anime. Because i won't like it.
I am telling this because many people gonna dislike it and say you don't have taste and blah blah, so i am just giving my reason why i didn't like this drama that much.
Plus i only liked main actors and some of the other cast and music. That's all. Rest of the thing i find meh..!!
And i have seen the anime and didn't like that too, i find this little boring in between, though its not draggy at all. But i still didn't like it till episode 33. And at the end it felt like it was rushed they haven't shown any reunion or more clarification on wei ying present life.
Plus whenever wangji played that instrument it seems synchronized but when wei wuxian play flute it never matches with the sound, it doesn't feels like the actor is really doing its part and that's why those scenes never touches my heart. They were totally off synch.
And they have changed many things from anime as i haven't read the novel so can't say which one of them stays true to the story.
Anyway i am not disappointed, i just didn't like it like many other people.

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