7. The Untamed
Year: 2019
No. of Seasons: 1
No. of Episodes: 50
Cert: 12
Genre: Xianxia, Fantasy, Period, Action Adventure
Language: Chinese (Mandarin)
Director: Zheng Weiwen & Chen Jialin
Starring: Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo, Wang Zhuocheng
Plot: "In a magical world of inter-clan rivalry, two soulmates face treacherous schemes and uncover a dark mystery linked to a tragic event in the past." - Netflix
Overall: 'The Untamed' (陈情令 Chen Qíng Ling) is based on a novel by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu & a donghua, both called (魔道祖师 Mo Dao Zu Shi). It follows the donghua adaption's story fairly closely, but differs somewhat from the novel. This series was released through WeTV/Tencent (same company that released Manner of Death last/this year) in 2019, but then was also released on Netflix. Unfortunately, I only got around to watching it this year, since I'd usually feel bad for watching a 50 episode series instead of doing something more "productive", but I've had a lot more free time lately so I finally sat down and watched.
Honestly I regret not watching it sooner, as it is now one of my favourite series! The acting was great (mostly), the plot was compelling and the cinematography, costuming & settings were absolutely stunning. The method of storytelling - going back and forward in time to uncover more layers of the plot - is very effective, and the mystery of who is behind everything continues right up until the last few episodes.
The main difference from the book was the missing eventual overtly romantic relationship between Wei Wuxian and Lang Wangji, which was instead replaced with healthy doses of subtext and symbolism and a very close friendship. This was due to Chinese censorship laws that have banned openly LGBTQ+ relationships from being shown onscreen.
While this disappointed some fans of the book (I can understand why), the series is fairly faithful to the novel and there is still a deep, soulmate friendship and implied romantic relationship throughout the show. Also, the main storyline is about so much more than romantic love and it would be ridiculous to not enjoy the series only because it doesn't state that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are a couple.
Both young men stand up for what they believe in and their bonds and ideals are sronger than anything - family, rules, public opinion, right and wrong, even life and death. Lan Wangji especially, who is from a prestigious, strict clan and also extremely emotionally repressed, has to re-evaluate and change his whole life/code of conduct in order to 'do the right thing' and to help and support Wei Wuxian, who he cares for deeply and he believes is a truly good person.
Best Bits:
The development of the main characters and their relationship is one of the best parts of the show. They both grow up - Wei Wuxian becomes more responsible, mature and selfless, while Lan Wangji realises that rules can be broken sometimes, especially if it's to protect something/someone important to you - and make each other better people.
The underlying critique of abuses of power and mob mentality is very well done. Sometimes themes like this can feel preachy or are put in without any relevance to the story. However, in The Untamed, these themes form an integral part of the plot. War crimes happen on all sides, and rules are strictly adhered to without taking the context of the situation into account. There is no strict dividing line between good and bad, just a lot of grey areas. People are quick to attack others and just go along with everyone else so that they won't become the target themselves.
Also, I know Xue Yang is a complete bastard and the actor's acting wasn't always the best, but I thought he was a great character, who never tried to make any excuses for his behaviour. He genuinely didn't seem to understand that anything he did was wrong. The one time that he seemed to have a little understanding of the cruelty of his actions was after a situation that he caused, which meant that he was emotionally hurt by something himself, rather than it affecting someone else. This character is, again, part of the wider themes - "it's alright for other people to suffer - for me to cause them to suffer - but when I suffer, then it's a tragedy and people have to pay for it".
Worst Bit: That it had to end? If I can't choose that, then some of the effects and CGI weren't great. For an example: the dog in the Wen dungeon was really bad.
Watch it if you like: Xianxia, period Chinese shows/films, shows based on books, fantasy, mystery, magic, gorgeous cinematography, costumes and settings, well-developed characters and plots.
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