(FL): personality is as exciting as box of Kleenex. Boo
FL portrayal was pretty awful - boring, weak, just a ragdoll of simpering, weepy, boring, codependent, can’t take care of herself and (literally) needs mommy daddy boyfriend to do it all character. It’s extremely cringey in that way. She’s a 20-something adult. The character has 0% charisma, intelligence, humor…she’s attractive, but not blow your mind pretty eye candy or anything. Nobody’s going to war for her lol.Other characters good. Liked the traditional medicine aspect a lot. ML was good - character was portrayed well as gentle, intelligent, bookish, thoughtful.
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Shines Bright Despite Shaky Start
I went into The Untamed in 2026 after only watching 4 C dramas previously. The ratings were so high, and the fanbase seemed rabidly passionate when I researched, so I was happy to jump in.Buuuuut…it started with so-so initial production quality (I’d only watched Love Between Fairy and Devil, Pursuit of Jade, and a few others), enough so I nearly tuned out. It felt dated and meh. Story seemed flat.
But I knew better from great (US) series like Supernatural that if THIS many people from all over the world are screaming from the rooftops about something, listen to them closely, give it a chance. Keep going and stick with it beyond a few eps.
I did, and I came out the other side a complete raving fan.
This show has the magic of original Star Trek or Supernatural - it soars and bursts with life and energy due to the characters and the actors bringing them to life and doesn’t need a fancy production budget. It’s phenomenal. It’ll make you cry. Laugh. Stay up till 4am desperate for behind other scenes content on YouTube in a language you don’t speak.
At its heart, Xiao Zhan’s magnetic, devil may care, kind and noble-hearted Wei Wuxian (Wei Ling), who you follow through life, deaths, rebirth and more. It’s storytelling of a HUGELY epic nature. And with him through this odyssey is Lan Zhan: stoic, otherworldly, but ice cold and uncompromising (think:Spock)…who is yanked right out of his rigidly controlled life by meeting his complete opposite, something way more than a best friend or buddy or romantic interest - they’re soulmates.
The Untamed is grand, beautiful, tragic, wonderful…and ultimately, hopeful. Don’t wait to meet all these characters brought to life by talented actors and actresses and story and behind the scenes people who just got it SO perfect. It’s rare.
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Romance, action, humor, this series is perfection!
It’s just perfect on all fronts, a stunning mix of the people in front of the camera and behind it all just hitting a huge home run from the very first shot.It’s eye candy both in cinematography and actors - it’s a ridiculous male beauty pageant on a level that’s almost distracting if the story wasn’t so well done. They even out-pretty the women, which is hard to do with the gorgeous actresses here.
Story has it all - romance, humor, intensity, warmth, sadness, passion, fun…and villains that chew up the scenery and are more than just boring placeholders. You are engrossed in everyone’s stories here, not just a hero or two.
I really like fantasy and xianxia - but PoJ crossed right over my borders and became one of my favorite dramas ever. Don’t even wait to watch it - I promise it’s worth your time. I’ll be watching everything this director puts out in the future!
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