ClassyApples
USA
First 15 episodes were meh then BAM episode 16 the quality suddenly improves
As somebody who has never read, or even heard, of this story, this is a completely unbiased opinion. Truly unbiased as I primarily watch kdramas and stumbled across this show while browsing the Top Rated shows on MDL. The only other cdramas I've watched are Rise of the Phoenixes, parts of Nirvana in Fire, and Prince of Lan Ling.
Overall, I liked this show. It was entertaining, but don't expect it to be absolutely perfect. It's goofy, with cheesy CGI and plotlines, but fun to watch. The characters are a bit exaggerated in their movements and acting, but like I said, it's a fun show. To be honest, this show reminded me of a Saturday cartoon or a video game in its storyline, but I grew attached nonetheless; basically, the storyline felt juvenile at times, and the characters' logic seemed flawed, but the characters and the fights are what keeps you watching--as well as the comedy.
Something that threw me off a little and reminded me why I don't really watch Chinese dramas is the dubbing. It's hard for me to get used to the added sounds and mouths not exactly matching. As far as I could see, The Untamed was dubbed just like most cdramas. That was my biggest complaint, but it is not a con since it seems to be the norm for cdramas. Also, I got used to it as the show went on.
One thing that was hard as a viewer with no other context is how confusing the show was at times. Expect to be incredibly confused for the first few episodes, but STICK WITH IT! I'm telling you, once you hit episode 16, the show seems to change its tone and get on a solid footing. Suddenly, it becomes Game of Thrones level serious. Some scenes ran longer than they should have (especially in the last few episodes, my god, I kept wanting them to move on but for the last couple episodes something just gets dragged so much I had to deduct a star). Some episodes were just flashbacks with scenes we'd already seen, so I felt the need to skip those out of repetition. These two reasons are why it was not a perfect show, in my opinion.
The music/instrumentals/background tunes at least in the early episodes were lighthearted and goofy, reminding me of a children's show; I think if they added an entire different soundtrack it'd change the mood of the show to more serious, but that was not their vision, as I understand. Like I keep saying, it was a fun show, and more often than not, this show felt like a comedy. Then it would be a serious, engaging tragedy. Back and forth, laughs then tears then giggles then screams. The more serious tracks were amazing, as well as the main song between Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan.
Very clever show. By episode 9, I was attached to the characters. You seriously fall in love with the characters. Kind of loved them. And will not forget them. Wei Wuxian was an amazing character, and Lan Zhan, who reminded me of Legolas from Lord of the Rings, also won my heart.
In sum, don't compare The Untamed to kdramas or high production shows with big budgets. Take it for what it is: an entertaining show that can tug on the heart. Don't expect perfect acting or seamless editing. I had some laughs and fun. That's all that should matter. The main characters and supporting characters were super likeable, and that's probably why people love this show so much. It grew on me, too. I will definitely be watching clips and going back to it at some point to rewatch my favorite scenes.
I hope this review helped for those who need an unbiased opinion. :) :) :)
Overall, I liked this show. It was entertaining, but don't expect it to be absolutely perfect. It's goofy, with cheesy CGI and plotlines, but fun to watch. The characters are a bit exaggerated in their movements and acting, but like I said, it's a fun show. To be honest, this show reminded me of a Saturday cartoon or a video game in its storyline, but I grew attached nonetheless; basically, the storyline felt juvenile at times, and the characters' logic seemed flawed, but the characters and the fights are what keeps you watching--as well as the comedy.
Something that threw me off a little and reminded me why I don't really watch Chinese dramas is the dubbing. It's hard for me to get used to the added sounds and mouths not exactly matching. As far as I could see, The Untamed was dubbed just like most cdramas. That was my biggest complaint, but it is not a con since it seems to be the norm for cdramas. Also, I got used to it as the show went on.
One thing that was hard as a viewer with no other context is how confusing the show was at times. Expect to be incredibly confused for the first few episodes, but STICK WITH IT! I'm telling you, once you hit episode 16, the show seems to change its tone and get on a solid footing. Suddenly, it becomes Game of Thrones level serious. Some scenes ran longer than they should have (especially in the last few episodes, my god, I kept wanting them to move on but for the last couple episodes something just gets dragged so much I had to deduct a star). Some episodes were just flashbacks with scenes we'd already seen, so I felt the need to skip those out of repetition. These two reasons are why it was not a perfect show, in my opinion.
The music/instrumentals/background tunes at least in the early episodes were lighthearted and goofy, reminding me of a children's show; I think if they added an entire different soundtrack it'd change the mood of the show to more serious, but that was not their vision, as I understand. Like I keep saying, it was a fun show, and more often than not, this show felt like a comedy. Then it would be a serious, engaging tragedy. Back and forth, laughs then tears then giggles then screams. The more serious tracks were amazing, as well as the main song between Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan.
Very clever show. By episode 9, I was attached to the characters. You seriously fall in love with the characters. Kind of loved them. And will not forget them. Wei Wuxian was an amazing character, and Lan Zhan, who reminded me of Legolas from Lord of the Rings, also won my heart.
In sum, don't compare The Untamed to kdramas or high production shows with big budgets. Take it for what it is: an entertaining show that can tug on the heart. Don't expect perfect acting or seamless editing. I had some laughs and fun. That's all that should matter. The main characters and supporting characters were super likeable, and that's probably why people love this show so much. It grew on me, too. I will definitely be watching clips and going back to it at some point to rewatch my favorite scenes.
I hope this review helped for those who need an unbiased opinion. :) :) :)
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