A well beloved drama by many fans, I was too curious to pass on watching this. Last year I dropped this twice and for some reason I couldn’t watch beyond the first episode. On my third try, I promised myself to finish this no matter what. The drama is about two immortal male disciples who fight against the schemes of the corrupt sects and unveil the secret events of the past. The setting is very much wuxia, the main focus is political intrigue between different sects, with xianxia elements (immortality, dark cultivation, monsters etc).

Episodes 1-2 are a flash forward to the future where the male lead (Wei Wuxia) has come back from the dead. From episode 3, the actual story begins and until episode 33, we follow the plot of how he died and all events that connect with episodes 1-2.

The best part about this drama is hands down the male lead Wei Wuxia and his relationship with the other male lead Lan Zhan. I absolutely loved seeing their relationship build up and all their moments together. Their dynamic was a mix of mischievous bits and “I’ll die for you” vibes. This drama is heavily censored and it was interesting that I feel it’s both acceptable and normal to interpret their relationship as BL as well as a simple bromance. Well, I personally totally ship them as a couple.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t a huge fan of the plot/pacing. The story did always make sense and there were no stupid misunderstandings or plot holes. In fact, some key moments in the drama were executed fantastically and are very memorable. But in general I found the drama too long/draggy and boring at times. After episode 12 I started to ff/skip a lot as I was inpatient to see how it all plays out in the end.

POSITIVE:
- Great chemistry between the main leads. Their dynamic was the best part!
- Fantastic relationship build up and execution of the story between the main leads. I loved all of their scenes and interactions.
- Complex, endearing, hilarious and badass male lead (Wei Wuxia). His lines always cracked me up. His story is memorable!
- The best “if looks could kill” vibes from the male lead (Lan Zhan).
- Music instruments as weapons that look beautiful and totally badass.
- Dark Wei Wuxia with his flute slayed! I love that flute and his look so much!!!
- Brilliant acting from the whole cast, especially the main leads Xiao Zhan and Wang Yi Bo. In fact XZ deeply impressed me with this outstanding performance and portrayal of a character that is the total opposite of his other xianxia “The Longest Promise”. It’s safe to say I’m totally in love with XZ.
- Great villains. A good drama needs good villains and this one did not disappoint in that department.

NEGATIVE:
- Beginning of the drama is hard to watch and many people including me drop it multiple times.
- Not vibing with the plot/pacing. I like angst and political intrigue but this one felt too long, too dark, heavy and sometimes brutal.
- Unimpressive fight scenes. I might be spoiled with the recent high budgeted cdramas I’ve seen but unfortunately I didn’t like the CGI/visuals and fight scenes. Except the flute. I loved the flute. But the monsters and zombie-like people as foes were super weird and skippable.

OVERALL:
The Untamed feels like a classic and I understand the appeal of it even if it wasn’t 100% my vibe. I recommend giving this drama at least 10 episodes before deciding if it’s for you or not. If you want a wuxia setting (political intrigue between corrupt sects) and xianxia elements (immortality, dark cultivation and monsters) with beautiful bl/bromance relationship, give this drama a chance.