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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If you haven't watched it, WATCH IT. If you haven't finished it, FINISH IT.

I’m sure a lot of you have been deciding whether to watch this because of the hype OR you have been putting it off (I did the same at first) but- I am writing this review to tell you, YES, WATCH IT. If you like thrillers, mysteries, and the supernatural, then this is a show for you! And YES, FINISH IT. Do not hesitate to finish it because it's worth it! The Gifted has become one of my favorite Thai series of all time. I’m so mad at myself for putting watching it for a bit without knowing how much I would enjoy this show shdhgsf. I loved everything, down to the acting, cinematography, music, story, and how they managed to incorporate something seemingly “unrealistic” such as superpowers into a realistic school setting. The cinematography and the coloring are breathtaking. The atmosphere they set up makes you feel this uncertainty and anxiety- which is very suspenseful and intriguing. The more the story gets explored, the more you want to know and learn about this story. The story aside, I feel like the characters are what really made this show THIS SHOW. There was never a dull moment for me and you will fall in love with all the characters.

(don't mind any grammatical errors).

STORY:
First of all, the synopsis itself seems interesting, and as you watch as the story folds out, there is more than meets the eye (obviously). It was really smart of them to introduce the characters first and have episodes dedicated to them so we could understand their character- and motives, which play a part in their group dynamic (continuing into the gifted graduation- but this is not abt that). As we keep watching, not only do we find out more about the secrets of the gifted program, but the characters do as well, and I think that it is what makes the audience even more engaged with the story. TRUTHFULLY, I find the story to be one of the most engaging and most fun to look at. If you look at the story from a realistic standpoint, some kids having powers based on an audio that can magically activate some cells making them become some of the most powerful beings in their country seems super unrealistic right?? But what I loved about The Gifted is that although there are some supernatural elements, there are some things that apply to the real world- specifically in school settings. It's exactly what some school systems are like. The way some schools prioritize the extremely gifted students, directly or indirectly neglecting the rest of the students, eventually ending in outrage and unfair treatment (adding schools exploiting the gifted students to their advantage). I actually find it interesting how much they emphasize ideals and show the differences in POV between the people who believe in opposite ideals. Which makes you wonder: Which is the correct ideal? How do you KNOW which is the correct ideal? It’s just so insightful and hurts my brain kdskj. Indeed the story is full of plot twists and a load of foreshadowing.

-Not gonna get that much into it but there were so many moments where I was holding onto my seat like WHAT?!?? No way that just happened. If there's one thing The Gifted is gonna do, it's gonna make you look into it more! No, I am 100% convinced that one of the goals that the writers set up is to make you look into the show MORE. Yes, it is a mystery but you are supposed to think and use your brain to piece all the pieces together instead of it being handed to you on a silver platter. But yes, I enjoyed the story, although it is not perfect- I think it’s def amusing.

-The only downside is that the pacing, especially the last few eps seemed so…? I don’t want to say rushed but it felt like they just squeezed in all these little parts of backstory at the last second because they realized that they spent a little too much time on the characters, not realizing that they had like 3-4 more episodes to establish the conflict with the director and just went for the ending “villain wins, the hero loses for now because hey, there's a 2nd season!”. I don’t even know what to say but the finale seemed a little anticlimactic to me. BUT I realized that it was done on purpose to set up The Gifted Graduation- you are not meant to think that this is the end of their journey (OBVIOUSLY, but the build-up to the ending is what makes it anticlimactic imo). I would’ve loved to see all of them working together- using their potential to take down the director instead of Pang going all solo and not communicating with the others (luckily we sorta see that in S2). But again, the ending DOES make sense considering it would be impossible to win against the director with Pang’s plan and it "had to be done"- seeing how his loss seemingly set up The Gifted Graduation. The idea was great but the execution was not. Adding the fact that there are loads of questions and loose ends- did everyone get their memory erased or was it just Pang? How are Mon and Korn back? Korn’s hair went back to normal?? (joke), etc. I guess most questions are answered in S2 but some are just never touched on again so you’ll probably just have to answer it based on your own interpretation.

-I have to say, I LOVED the characters. Every one of them is unique in their own way. Although some are not the brightest, I love them. I loved their character dynamics and their relationship with each other (wholesome af). Sort of wished we saw more of Jack and Joe tho because what were they doing besides being in the background?? They barely got any screen time. Another thing, I wished that the screen time between the characters was more contributed evenly (talking about the last few EPS) because I would’ve liked to see more from the other characters. (If you wanna see me write essays on what I thought of the characters, look at the comment under this).

(If you don’t want to read some stupid rambling, feel free to skip this)
Love all the characters individually but I have to say that some pairs had like NO chemistry with each other. (This is MY opinion, this is just what I think- don't take this as facts)

-First of all, Punn and Claire. I am so sorry… I love both of them as bf & gf and all but :( I thought I could see them more as a romantic pair (esp in S2 ) but I could not. Don’t get me wrong! They care about each other a lot, + they have a lot of cute scenes together and I love their LOVE but I like them more as platonic. They do have a bit of chemistry but I wished they developed this pair more and made their relationship more interesting because I felt like they got together too fast but that’s just me… love them tho.

-Another pair that was pushed by the directors that I felt had no chemistry is Pang & Namtaan. Even Wave had more chemistry with Namtaan (joke?). Again, I love both of them individually but there was 0 chemistry. Them romantically? No. Them platonically? Yes. They were not even together but I could tell they were pushed romantically. Yet I could not tell where they were going with this pair as they sidelined Namtaan in S2. And I wonder why they would build up their relationship in S1 if they weren’t even gonna get together in S2?? hjkfjhf but I love them as best friends. Just wanted to say this because it was something that I noticed while watching

Now to the pairs who ACTUALLY had chemistry.

-Claire and Korn. This might be controversial because how does the sad pining childhood friend have more chemistry with Claire you may ask? First of all, they have been friends since kindergarten and Korn basically knows Claire in and out. He was always there to comfort her and was there for her (EP4). They could’ve been the perfect embodiment of childhood friends to lovers- listen! They had the potential! There was sm tension between them and honestly while I was watching, I thought they would be endgame. I’d say the writers were too scared to go there, or maybe Punn and Claire were meant for each other, and Claire rejecting Korn is supposed to happen. In other words, a plot device that would play a big part in his character arc (it did). But idk, it was so freaking sad to see Korn drift away from Claire :( one of the biggest losses in the show fr. I’m not even talking about them romantically but as friends. Their friendship was everything, it was so sweet. The potential was there but I respect Claire, It was merely one-sided and she only saw him as a good friend. All and all, Korn deserved better. I don't know why the writers decided to do him so dirty but he deserves everything in this world. (also notice the number of times I used ‘was’- past tense - since they are no longer as close to each other as before *cries*)

-Another pair that had ZERO chemistry. Pang and Wave. Yeah no. I could not see them together. They HATE each other. Gay ppl? No.

-JOKING. But Pang and Wave had some serious chemistry. I KNOW that the directors were too scared to make them a real thing because their chemistry was too powerful! Like come on, everyone and their grandma picked up on their chemistry. THEY are the classic enemies to friends to lovers trope. Them both hating each other but end up joining forces because they both hate the same thing (the director and the school system etc). I found their friendship so unexpected but at the same time so endearing. This duo solos everyone I’m sorry but that’s just the truth. Love them.

ACTING/ CAST:
-I LOVED the acting but some were not up to par with the others. Especially since some were still rookies, but I think it’s EXTREMELY impressive that they could portray such characters in a tense setting. I could tell everyone did their best and I applaud them. I cried with them, I got mad with them, I was happy with them! The ones who I thought REALLY shined with their acting are Nanon, Gun, and Chimon. Sing, Jane, and Mr. Pom’s actor. There are many more but they are the ones whose performances I thought were the most impressive.

MUSIC:
-LOVED THE MUSIC. If the intro song played, then you know something intense is coming… But I went and searched for the rest of the osts and listened to them- I can conclude that the music is a 10/10. The background music is what really sets the mood and it just makes you enjoy the show more.

REWATCH VALUE:
-YES. I would 100% rewatch this just to get re-introduced to the characters again for the first time and I would love to rewatch this knowing all the secrets behind the gifted program. But I have to say, if you don’t like slower-paced dramas, then I would not recommend this to rewatch. But yeah REWATCH IT, WATCH IT!

OVERALL:
-Again, one of my fav Thai series of all time! There are some flaws and plot holes in the story BUT! that did not stop me from enjoying the show, rather it made me even more curious. This show made me feel a bundle of emotions and tested my blood pressure but I digress. My overall enjoyment is a 10/10, one of the best experiences ever. The ending is okay and I was somewhat satisfied (since I already knew there was gonna be a S2 lol). But the biggest thing I got from watching this gem is getting to know all of the actors/ actresses. I was familiar with everyone but I haven’t seen any of their work before (besides Nanon’s) so I’m glad I got to see them in action. Lastly, loved this show, loved everyone who worked on this, and LOVE THEM. I might rewrite this after I rewatch it so that I can have a bigger grasp on the story lol but I hope this was readable.

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