From the perspective of a novel fan, "The Untamed" truly surpassed my expectations as the live adaptations of Mo Dao Zhushi (Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation). The synopsis: A fantasy story set in ancient China about two young idealistic paladins who found themselves entangled in a bloody rebellion against an evil clan. One became a powerful demonologist and died tragically, until a strange event reunited these two friends years later. They joined force to solve the mystery behind a series of deaths, but unexpectedly uncovered a sinister conspiracy and many startling revelations about each other.
"The Untamed" brought this fantasy world to life with visually stunning scenery and set design, outstanding soundtrack, great plot and character development, as well as a team of talented new actors (major bonus points for giving us a parade of eye candies). I was a bit turned off by the substandard CGI...but I get that it's not a big budget production and funding must had been tight after the studio caught on fire.
So what made "The Untamed" the biggest runaway hit of 2019 in the world of Chinese television? It has a well written script with a perfect balance between comedy and drama, as well as action and intrigue. I'm also very impressed by how the screen writers managed to fill some of the original novel's plot holes and reorganize the timeline to make the story less confusing. However, it's not flawless and some episodes had issues with pacing. For example, the first two episodes were bogged down by too many subplots and flashbacks at times. The last episode also had several repetitive and out of order sequences that felt like fillers before the final scene (nevertheless it's still a pretty good finale).
Here's another element that made this a truly binge-worthy series. The casting directors of "The Untamed" did a superb job finding two talented lead actors who also had outstanding chemistry together on screen. Xiao Zhan is the perfect embodiment of the playful, dark, and passionate Wei Wuxian. He captivated audiences from the very first scene and was the main reason that kept me going pass the first two confusing episodes. Then there's the interesting casting choice for our second lead character...It's hard to picture a vibrant 21-year-old pop artist/TV host portraying the stoic and graceful Lan Wanji, but Wang Yibo's ability to convey a plethora of emotions with few words and very subtle expressions cemented his status as an up and coming actor. It goes without saying that directors Zheng Weiwen and Chen Jialin played a huge part in these actors' remarkable performance.
It's also important to mention that "The Untamed " has one of the most well-rounded supporting roles with their own stories and character arcs. Their relationships with the protagonists were pivotal in the story's central themes: the fine line between good versus evil and the enduring love that exists between siblings, friends, and adopted families. There were talented supporting actors who were outstanding from the start while the rest took some time to get into their characters. Nevertheless, it's a pleasure to watch these young actors bring out the best in each other as the series goes on. Although there were some comically bad villains, but the screen writers managed to redeem themselves by creating complex antagonists with motivations and perspectives tht we can all relate in real life.
Overall I recommend giving "The Untamed" a whirl even if you are not familiar with Chinese costume drama. You'll be rewarded with a thoroughly unique and entertaining viewing experience once you get over the heavy makeup and over-the-top choreography typical of traditional martial art series. So grab a couple of your fun loving friends (group reactions and comments will be a blast, I guarantee), sit back and enjoy the 50-episode fantasy adventure that is "The Untamed".
