mika
Sweden
- Interesting set design and world building
- I liked a few of the side characters, Moon Immortal & Pu chi were both very enjoyable to watch. As well as the side couple.
- Run Yu is definitely the best character in the show (even though he isn't always the most likable character). He was honestly the reason why I stuck through with this drama. He is well acted and is honestly one of the few multi layered characters.
Bad points:
- The two main characters has the personalities of two wet socks. The main male lead is honestly boring and I never felt for him. The Main female lead is super annoying and acts like a 8 year old, I did start to like her a bit (just a bit) around ep.45. But that's about it. Both of them are just very bland.
- It feels like the story wants the viewers to cheer for the main couple and feel sympathetic toward the Heavenly Emperor/Empress, which was just annoying since they both where awful people. (Run Yu was definitely right about them)
- Way to long (very typical of cdramas). This drama could've been 30 episodes.
I had a very hard time rating this drama. On one hand, It is a drama with major flaws, one the other, I did find myself still enjoying it. However I don't see myself ever re-watching it nor even really thinking about this drama.
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A 2022 Drama, with a lot of late 00's energy
Starting of with my headline, this drama do remind me of a lot of the k-dramas that where released in between 2007-2012, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. First of all, the show is packed with tropes that where popular during this period (poor woman meets rich man, demanding/controlling parents, secret relationships, woman in love with childhood friend etc) and the fact that the show in it's essence is pretty simple and straight-forward. However this was quite refreshing as most new k-dramas tend too be slightly more serious (or at least have darker subject-matters to them). Because of this, Business Proposal is a super binge-worthy show, I was able to watch the entire show in just 2 days, something that is rare for me. I would recommend Business Proposal for anyone that is looking for something simple to watch at the end of a long day. Below I go in a bit more with the details...Highlights:
1. The side-couple actually felt like a romantic relationship you could see in real life.
2. Good Pacing. Doesn't drag on too much, the second part is just as well paced as the first (A lot of k-dramas have this problem).
Aspects the show missed the mark on:
1. The music: Now this is ofc super personal, but the music in a show/movie can do so much for me. And Business Proposal simply doesn't have a memorable soundtrack for me.
2. I honestly wish we saw more of the friendship between Ha-Ri and Young-seo. It's almost like the show forgot about half-way through. In the same vain, I wished the show explored the relationship between Tae-moo and Sung-hoon.
3. The ending felt a bit rushed. I understand that the show only had 12 episodes but I just wished the show would maybe take 30 more min to wrap-up.
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A must see!
Ok, first let me just start by saying that this is by no means a flawless drama. It has flaws, specially in the production and in the technical aspects. For example, the lightning can sometimes be a bit off, as well as the cgi. These are things I personally can look past when it comes to C-dramas and The Untamed is certainly not an exception. Because the good points definitly outweighs the flaws and as someone who has watched the show three times now I can't recommend this drama more!Characters:
I'll start with the characters as I think this is the strongest aspect of this drama. Our two main characters are very likeable and very well played by the actors. I have to give major probs to Xiao Zhan for his amazing portrayal of Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian's relationship with not only lan wangji but also with his siblings are heartwhelming and heartbreaking at the same time. There really isn't much more here for me to write without me writing an entire essay which I want to avoid.
Plot:
Before watching this drama I was told that the plot is the weakest point and honestly I really don't get that? The plot is not the most original but it is well crafted and very emotional. I will be honest, I am a total sucker for these kinds of storylines and character plots so it's not super odd that I love it. I usually don't like too make paralleles or draw comparisons to other films/dramas but I will say that The Untamed has a bit of a Lord of the Rings esque theme to it, and I mean that in the best way possible since the Lord of the rings movies are my favorite movies of all time. I mention this because going into this drama I though it would just be your usual constume c-drama.
Score/music:
The music in this drama is absolutly stunning, and whenever I hear just a second of the score I get chills. One of the best, if not the best c-drama score ever.
Production/technical aspects:
As I mentioned in the beginning, this is where the drama lacks the most. Some of the camerawork is a bit odd and overall seems a bit cheap? at times.
Conclusion:
Despite some of the minor flaws I could not give this drama anything other then a 10. Because at the end of the day those flaws didn't take away from the overall story for me personally, as well as this being the most emotionally invested i've ever been with a c-drama. The Untamed will leave you empty by ep.50 and you will never really get over this show, I know i'll never be.
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Threading the line between reality and fantasy!
wow, what a rollercoaster ride of a show. First of all, this show is hard to define by one genre. It has comedy, thriller, horror, coming-of-ages themes. The show is also patient with its storytelling and doesnt treat the viewer like a dumb child. The pilot episode is arguably one of the best i've seen, and it ends on a high note as well. The acting was a big stand-out in this show, especially by Tseng jing hua who absolutely nailed the character. Pu yi yong as a main character is sooo likable, yet complex, funny and caring. His relationship with Chu ying and Guang yan truly is the heart of the show. I also adored his mom and his scenes with his dad and grandpa.I do think this is one of those shows where its better to go in blind and simple experience the show as it goes on, so I won't talk too much about the actual plot. I will say that the episodic format isnt my favorite, even though it pays of at the end, I wish we could spend more times with the overarching story. That really is my only complaint. This truly is a excellent show that truly took me by surprise, will end HIGH up on my year end list.
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One of the sweetest stories in k-drama land!
I'm not always a fan of episodic shows, but EAW kept it interesting and had a good balance of each case and the overall story. Overall the acting and character development is very good. I was a bit skeptical of Eunbin's portrayal of woo young woo, but was very soon convinced. I also liked a lot of the supporting characters, specially Attorney Jung and Attorney Choi. Also finally a male-romantic interested that Jane Austen would be proud of. I loved the romance in the show, it was sweet and simply and not over-dramatic. I literally don't trust people that say that they should skip the romance because why? all of the sudden the romance has too make sense, that is almost never the case for k-dramas. Also I feel like people only say this because they feel like someone "has too have a super good reason to fall in love with an autistic person", which in my very humble opinion is bs.
A big yeah for women's friendship!
One of my favorite things is EAW is the female friendships in the show. Both of them feel very realistic, but also so warm! The "Nickname" scene actually made me cry a bit and that's rare. I also love how both friendships are different from each other, yet both are filled with support.
A big yeah for symbolism!
This show has so much symbolism, the whales being the big and obvious one. I won't get into detail one this once since it's hard to discuss symbolism without spoiling something.
So why not a 10 star rating?
EAW doesn't get a 9 star rating because it has something obvious that knocks it down a star, but mostly because of my own preferences. I enjoyed watching this drama a lot, however I don't think I can compare it to some of my all time favorite k-dramas. And too be honest that might be because other dramas have most nostalgic value to me than EAW. The only thing the drama somewhat lacks is a memorable soundtrack. Nostalgia and music is super intertwined, so having a memorable soundtrack can really add to a story in my opinion. I put on the soundtrack on spofity a few days ago and I don't really remember any of the scores, besides the main intro. Even though the soundtrack in my opinion is a bit forgettable, the artwork definitely inst! I loved the opening animations for each episode as well as the final drawing.
A final note!
I have recommended this drama to a few of my friends (that usually don't watch k-drama) and 2 ended of watching it and both loved it. It's actually rare that I recommend a k-drama to my friends but I genuinely believe this is a show most people can get into, it has something for everyone! So if you haven't made up your mind yet I say GO FOR IT!
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RamKing carried!
It's a cute little show and I enjoyed watching it so i'll take it for what it is. My biggest issues with the drama was 1. Too many couples. I don't mind multiple romances in shows however this show had 1 too many of them and it ended up feeling cramped and just not flushed out. 2. They are a group of friends but we almost never see them interact with each other?, just in the beginning and the end. I literally forgot that they know each other because the stories doesn't intertwine at all. You can pretty much just chose a couple and only watch their scenes and you'll still understand. Furthermore, the acting is just ok and the actual story is pretty bland, it's more of a slice-of-life kinda drama. Also the intro is super long for some reason, small detail but I digress. That being said, Ram and King carried the show for me. They had the best chemistry and the most natural progression through out the show. I really hope they end up making a second season just because I want so see them again. Overall it's a very simple show and if you're in the mood for something very lighthearted this might be for you.Was this review helpful to you?
Acting/characters: This is where the story truly shines. Both the male leads are very well casted and they did a great job with the characters. (I could go on a ramble here about how much I love Wen Ke Xing but i'll spare you that and just keep this part short.) This goes for the rest of the cast as well, mainly the scorpion king and Ye Bai Yi, which both ended up as my favorite side-characters.
Plot:
The plot is compelling, however I will say that the story sometimes felt a bit convoluted and at times it was difficult to follow along, this might just be me though and the language barrier might be a part of it. The ending felt a bit rushed and there where a few episodes in the middle with a lot of exposition which felt a bit too much.
Music:
Wasn't a huge fan of the opening at first but it grew on me, and the overall score is beautiful.
Technical Aspects
They made this drama on a tight budget and this does come through in technical aspects. However I still feel like they tried their best with the limitations and they put a lot more effort into the elements like staging and costuming.
Overall:
I gave the drama a 8.5, the parts that drag the score down is mainly the flow of the plot. However I would recommend this drama to pretty much anyone and i promise you, you will end up loving the characters and want to re-watch it the minute you finish it.
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A stunning heartfelt drama!
This drama is probably the most visually pleasing show i've watched. So much detail is put into the costumes and the surroundings of this show, that during the first 10 episodes or so I couldn't take my eyes away! I will say that I would not recommend this drama to everyone, it's a slow show with not the most likeable characters. Our two mains are flawed and the show doesn't gloss over that, this made the characters much more realistic and combined with the great acting they really came to life. However, I do know that some people couldn't bring themself to like either of them.This show was a solid 9/10 for the first 30 episodes, however I felt that the show started to drag a bit and the story got a bit to "soap-opera" for my liking, we also was shown less opera scenes which was a bit of a shame. I wasn't as invested in the last 19 episodes which makes it hard giving this show anything higher then a 8.5/10. Nonetheless, it's a great and well-crafted drama.
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One of the best (if not THE best) chinese drama in recent years.
I started to watch this drama because of the good reviews and I had also just finished The Untamed (which was my first costume cdrama) so I had high hopes for this drama. My expectations where definitely meet!Acting/characters:
FanXian is a very lovable main character, both capable of being serious but is also a very witty character. The entire cast is amazing with some of the best acting i've seen from a drama. The older cast is especially phenomenal, even the "evil" characters" are captivating too watch. One of my favorite things about this drama is the care for the minor characters. You can tell that the production team really put in alot of thought into even the minor characters, they all have a purpose and is well flushed out.
Story:
At first I thought this drama would just be another political palace drama but there is so much more to it. And even though the story is pretty serious, there is still plenty of comedy and lighthearted moments sprinkled through out the drama, making it easier to watch. There is romance but that is not the focal point of the story. I didn't necessarily care too much about the romance but it didn't take anything away from the story, I do however wish that Wan'er had more to do (hopefully she will in the next season).
Other points:
- The intro is probably my favorite cdrama opening!
- If I where to critic something, it would be that the show slows down a bit during the last 10 episodes, but I was still interested in the story nonetheless.
- The show is very beautiful, I know that some people thought that the coloring was off and I can see why, however this did not bother me at all.
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