Reviews

it's a great drama/dark romance

From my point of view, this story is about broken people who make many mistakes until they finally find peace with the consequences of their choices. I also think it highlights how strongly family influence can interfere in someone’s life.
The overall narrative is quite obsessive, toxic, and often dangerous. The characters go through a lot, but in the end they still manage to find a way to be together, and, in my opinion, that is exactly what the story wanted to convey.
My favorite part is how the show actually addresses Lu Feng’s mental health condition (which I don’t think is bipolar disorder, but he clearly struggles with something). I also appreciate how it shows him receiving treatment and makes it clear that he will need to continue taking medication and managing it long-term.
The actors are splendid and have beautiful chemistry, which definitely elevates the show even further.
Overall, I think it is a good show, but for obvious reasons—since it becomes quite dark at certain points—it is not for everyone. I would describe it more as a dark romance than a traditional romance, and more of a drama above all else.

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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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Enjoyable, but Overextended

I enjoyed this drama, but I honestly think I would have liked it more if it had been trimmed down. While I had a lot of fun with the storyline and characters, the subplots began to feel repetitive by episode 24. That said, I found it to be an engaging and unique drama for the time it was released. It had the feel of a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of war or national conflict. In some ways, it reminded me of Toy Soldiers (an American movie), with students taking on heavy military responsibilities that threatened both their lives and mental health.

I thought the characters and their stories were where this drama truly shined. I really appreciated the relationships between the characters — how they grew together despite their different personalities and family backgrounds. The cast did a wonderful job bringing their roles to life, and the backstories of the older minor characters added a thoughtful layer to the main plot. I also loved the comedic moments woven throughout the drama — they gave the story a much-needed balance. Still, as much as I could rave about certain elements, the overall experience would have benefitted from tighter plotting. A more concise episode count could have made the narrative stronger and more focused.

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I Had Very Conflicting Feelings About This One

I have conflicting feelings across pockets of episodes.. I was sucked into it at the start, then I was bored. Soon I fell in love with it (hard-core invested), then I liked it. Finally, I was disappointed. So I am grouping my thoughts into pros and cons:

PROS
• character superpowers
• character psychology and profile shifts
• the villain
• subplot twists
• the parts that focused on vampirism and fantasy
• Chinese Republic Era fashion meets Gothic-style wardrobe
• character dynamics and personifications
• stellar cast

CONS
• didn't have enough fantasy for me (not enough vampirism)
• not enough backstory (curious about the 3 clans)
• the ending was rushed for me
• immature character
• weak redemption arc

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A Polite Version of Rudeness

The continuation of the series didn't captivate me the way the first season did. Season 1 was bold, full of twists and turns. Something was always happening, someone was always breaking someone else's heart — and ours as viewers too. Couples cheated on each other, and the on-screen ships kept getting mixed up.

In the second part, it felt like the creators lost the courage to shake things up with the ships and couples. Beyond the established pairings, there was barely any interaction. Even the kiss that was supposed to be a betrayal wasn't really a kiss.

A bit of a disappointment, especially after such a strong and shocking first season. I was honestly hoping they'd break my heart again like they did in Season 1 and put the characters through some emotional chaos. Even Boston showed remorse, which actually worked well as a contrast and an unexpected twist.

The couples may have done a good job, but there wasn't much happening in the script and not much for the actors to play with. Rome and Raffy's constant breaking up and getting back together became repetitive, Jack and Dean's relationship could have been developed much better, and as for Arnold and Tua, I have the feeling that Gawin's performance was only average.

But my biggest issue isn't with the cast — it's with the writers.

I'm waiting for Season 3 and hoping for more of the fire that Season 1 had!

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A Compelling Mix of Mystery, Survival, and Human Psychology

As primarily a costume viewer, I enjoyed every episode, though I slightly faltered at the last one due to its heavy romantic themes. The series maintained strong storytelling and compelling subplots throughout, which kept me engaged from start to finish. It left me intrigued and eager to see what the creators might do next.

You might be interested in this drama if you enjoy mystery, investigative themes, gaming, and survival plots. I cried throughout the series because the scenes are poignant, delving deeply into character psychology, personal growth, and social dynamics. The themes explore human nature, selfishness, and altruism in life-and-death situations. The drama also examines group dynamics, including acts of self-sacrifice based on the roles individuals assume within the group—roles that continually shift depending on personal interactions both within and across groups.

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First Half Impressions: Offbeat Storytelling, Worth Trying, Not Finishing (For Me)

This is a drop review—commentary on the first half of the season.

This is a fun watch if you have time to fit it in. It’s very quirky and offbeat—not meant to be polished or riveting. I’ve watched about half of it, but I’m letting it go for now, even though I genuinely praise it. I need to let go of a few shows and become more discerning about what I actually want—and reasonably can—spend my time on.

That said, based on what I’ve seen so far, I do recommend it. The characters are kitschy, but they have real depth despite how unserious the tone can be. There are narrative layers that haven’t been fully revealed yet, and different episodes introduce new stories that orbit the main one while maintaining consistent themes. Because of that, the show manages to deliver satisfying plot development within a relatively short run

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My Peter Sheng Binge Era

Looking back, I don’t remember this being 60 episodes! It aired before the new regulations, so I’m not sure how I’d feel about it now that I’m used to shorter content. That said, I really enjoyed watching it at the time. It was during a phase when I wanted to watch everything with Peter Sheng—I had just devoured Go Princess Go and immediately searched for more of his work, which led me to Oh, My General.

While some of his other dramas differ in tone and style, Oh, My General feels very much in line with Go Princess Go. It’s highly comedic, farcical in places, and centers on a storyline involving war and rival kingdoms. There’s strong character development, especially in the way the lead relationship evolves and how the male lead matures. It was also the first time I came across a harem setup where the first wife is favored and admired—by the harem—more than the husband himself, which was a fun twist.

If you enjoy military-driven plots, fierce female leads, or arranged marriage tropes, this might be a good one to add to your list.

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A Drama I Learned to Love, I Came for Fengjiu and Stayed for Bai Qian

Funny enough, I watched Eternal Love of Dream first because the story between Dong Hua and Bai Fengjiu resonated with me more. And I have to admit, it took me a few tries to get into Eternal Love, and even to this day, I can only watch about half of it. The early to middle parts didn’t speak to me as much, and I skipped around quite a bit until Bai Qian returns from her love tribulation. From that point on, I watched the drama in full without skipping—and genuinely loved it. It was then that the storyline became more compelling for me because of the dynamics between the leads and the way their relationship evolved as gods, learning from past mistakes and slowly uncovering their shared history. Their growth, mutual dependency, and the gradual emergence of love were beautiful to witness. The sacrifices they made, the deepening understanding of each other, and the sense of fated belonging all left a strong impression on me.

It’s definitely something I would watch again—but again, only from the middle.

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Addicted but on steroids

Well that was a bit of a rollercoster! I really liked episodes 1-6. The writing was some of the best I've seen. The dialogue and situations made sense and seemed more real than most.

Episodes 7 and 8 really irritated me. I had to remind myself several times to not watch these episodes with my Western view point. That Mother was the absolute worst and only cared about herself and not her son's happiness.

Then episodes 9 -10 hit! These episodes the envelope was pushed. The toxicity was rampent. If you have relationship traumas these episodes could possibly cause some issues for you. Well, actually they should cause issues with anyone! They aren't graphic but the situation is horrible.

Episodes 11 and 12 pulled it back together though. It made sense of a lot of what happened. There is a shooting scene that happens in episode 10 that you would expect consequences for in these episodes but apparently in this universe getting shot is not anything to hold a grudge over. This truly annoyed me almost more than the whole Mother issue mainly because it made no sense at least with the Mother you can understand even if you don't agree.

I appreciate the acknowkedgement of a mental disorder and how in the end it is not dismissed. Regardless though this series is TOXIC and if had been done in a more "serious" manner would have been terrifying.

I do feel that this is definately one of the better BL's I have seen. The script is more thought out than most and isn't full of a lot of the usual clichés. Will I watch it again? That would be a yes. Mainly because I think having watched it once and the main surprises are known I will definately feel differently about all of it. It will remain to be seen if this is a good or bad thing as I may find more faults with what I liked.

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May 2026, the thai BL month of crap...

This was less crap then others, but still crap. The "so called" happy end was out of nothing, just like an afterthought "oh, this is a BL, it should have a happy end" - Acting was often stiff, the GL part was there for what reason? Because they did not have an happy end. Of course most characters were quite one-dimensional, the so called "doctor" looked way too young to be specialist.

So this show is all over the place, has some nice pictures but working a lot with filters. It feels like the script was made for ten or twelve episodes and then someone said "wait, we don't have money" and cut it down to eight. Overall this is quite crappy and you should not waste your time with it.

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