This review may contain spoilers
The Untamed (2019) ★★★★★
I put off watching The Untamed for a long time.
Partly because it was 50 episodes, partly because the fandom surrounding it is so intense, and partly because when something is hyped this much, it often struggles to live up to expectations.
In this case, the hype was deserved.
The Untamed is not a perfect drama. The special effects are often dated. Some of the musical choices are unintentionally funny. There are moments where the production shows its age and budget limitations.
None of that mattered.
The story is simply too good.
What begins as a mystery surrounding the return of the infamous Yiling Patriarch gradually unfolds into a story about loyalty, grief, sacrifice, reputation, family, belonging, and the devastating power of narrative. Few dramas have explored the concept of othering as effectively as this one. Again and again, characters are judged not by what they have done, but by the stories people tell about them.
Wei Wuxian is one of the most compelling protagonists I have encountered in a C-drama. Warm, mischievous, intelligent, compassionate, stubborn, and occasionally reckless, he remains fundamentally committed to protecting others even when the world decides he is a villain. Xiao Zhan’s performance is extraordinary.
Equally impressive is Wang Yibo as Lan Wangji. Playing a reserved character is difficult. Playing one who communicates almost entirely through subtle changes in expression is even harder. Wang Yibo somehow manages to convey loyalty, affection, grief, regret, devotion, and love while speaking very little. By the end of the drama, some of the most emotional moments come from a glance rather than a speech.
The supporting cast is equally strong. Jiang Cheng is frustrating, tragic, and deeply human. Wen Ning became one of my favorite characters. Lan Xichen’s kindness and optimism make him easy to love. Jin Guangyao is one of the most effective villains I have seen in a drama because he rarely appears villainous. His greatest weapon is not power but perception.
The greatest strength of The Untamed, however, is its world.
Cloud Recesses, Lotus Pier, Burial Mounds, Koi Tower—each feels like a real place inhabited by real people with histories, traditions, loyalties, and wounds. Long after finishing the drama, I suspect these places and characters will remain vivid in my memory.
This is not the strongest romance I have watched.
It is not the most emotionally devastating drama I have watched.
It is not the most visually impressive drama I have watched.
But it may be the most immersive world I have visited.
By the end, I did not want to leave.
That is one of the highest compliments I can give any story.
Highly recommended.
Partly because it was 50 episodes, partly because the fandom surrounding it is so intense, and partly because when something is hyped this much, it often struggles to live up to expectations.
In this case, the hype was deserved.
The Untamed is not a perfect drama. The special effects are often dated. Some of the musical choices are unintentionally funny. There are moments where the production shows its age and budget limitations.
None of that mattered.
The story is simply too good.
What begins as a mystery surrounding the return of the infamous Yiling Patriarch gradually unfolds into a story about loyalty, grief, sacrifice, reputation, family, belonging, and the devastating power of narrative. Few dramas have explored the concept of othering as effectively as this one. Again and again, characters are judged not by what they have done, but by the stories people tell about them.
Wei Wuxian is one of the most compelling protagonists I have encountered in a C-drama. Warm, mischievous, intelligent, compassionate, stubborn, and occasionally reckless, he remains fundamentally committed to protecting others even when the world decides he is a villain. Xiao Zhan’s performance is extraordinary.
Equally impressive is Wang Yibo as Lan Wangji. Playing a reserved character is difficult. Playing one who communicates almost entirely through subtle changes in expression is even harder. Wang Yibo somehow manages to convey loyalty, affection, grief, regret, devotion, and love while speaking very little. By the end of the drama, some of the most emotional moments come from a glance rather than a speech.
The supporting cast is equally strong. Jiang Cheng is frustrating, tragic, and deeply human. Wen Ning became one of my favorite characters. Lan Xichen’s kindness and optimism make him easy to love. Jin Guangyao is one of the most effective villains I have seen in a drama because he rarely appears villainous. His greatest weapon is not power but perception.
The greatest strength of The Untamed, however, is its world.
Cloud Recesses, Lotus Pier, Burial Mounds, Koi Tower—each feels like a real place inhabited by real people with histories, traditions, loyalties, and wounds. Long after finishing the drama, I suspect these places and characters will remain vivid in my memory.
This is not the strongest romance I have watched.
It is not the most emotionally devastating drama I have watched.
It is not the most visually impressive drama I have watched.
But it may be the most immersive world I have visited.
By the end, I did not want to leave.
That is one of the highest compliments I can give any story.
Highly recommended.
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