REVIEW Drama Review: “The Untamed”

Polaris_Tae

🚀🚩 Social Media Lead Donor+
Joined
Jun 17, 2019
Posts
5,674
Reaction score
13,691
Points
71,920
Location
In jail bc of chomi 😈
Plus Coins
⨭671,459
DRAMA REVIEW: “THE UNTAMED”
Written by: Polaris_Tae
OG Series: Episodes 1 - 19 (22:50)
Wangxian Compilation Series: Episodes 1 - 7 (3:04)


THE_UNTAMED.png







Disclaimer:
Men in this story often have three names. A birth name, a courtesy name and a title. In the case of Wei Wuxian: his birth name is Wei Ying, his courtesy name is Wei Wuxian, and it could be argued that the Yiling Patriarch is his title (although he was never given an official title, unlike Lan Wangji). At the bottom of the page are a number of characters listed with their names and titles. In this article, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji will be referred to by any of their multiple names. All other characters will hereafter, be referred to by their courtesy names.


___________


Ever since I started writing for H+, there has been one particular review I've wanted to do: a complete deep-dive into the Mainland Chinese BL Drama, 'Chen Qing Ling' (an adaption of one of one of my all-time favourite novels, 'Mo Dao Zu Shi'). And now at long last, after three months of delays, I've finally managed to get around to it. This will be the first installment in a series where I hope to deconstruct aspects of the drama, both implicit and explicit, and present them to you in a multi-part review.


'Chen Qing Ling' — otherwise known as 'The Untamed' — is a story about Wei Wuxian, a powerful Demonic Cultivator who is given a second chance at life, his lover, Lan Wangji, a righteous Cultivator¹, and their attempts to uncover the secrets of the mysterious spirit sword that haunts their lives. Here, I will be covering the first 19 episodes of the original 50-episode drama, covering Wei Wuxian's initial re-birth as well as his youth 16 years prior, before his transformation into the feared and hated Yiling Patriarch.


The drama opens with a powerful scene: Wei Wuxian stands at the edge of a cliff, bloodied and tearful. A short distance from him, we're met with the sight of a vicious battle in progress. A disembodied dialogue speaks of the man -- a 'merciless devil', a 'disaster', the sole factor behind the eradication of his own adoptive clan (Jiang). We watch, as he throws himself over the edge with the clear intent of ending his own life, and as he is caught at the last minute by a white-robed man. The two appear to be familiar with each other -- Wei Wuxian calls out to him, using the name 'Lan Zhan', implying a shared history between the two. (We later learn this to be true. The man is none other than Lan Wangji, who, as mentioned above, is Wei Wuxian's lover). However, an ominous figure approaches the two from behind, sword drawn -- it is Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian's adoptive brother. Fueled by what seems to be a deliberate fury, he forcefully pries Wei Wuxian off of the cliff, causing him fall to his death in the burning valley below.


The timeline then skips sixteen years into the future, where an eerie sequence reveals that Wei Wuxian has been reincarnated into the body of a certain Mo Xuanyu, through the latter's own doing. As he awakens, finding himself in the Mo Manor, he here's a voice -- the voice of his resurrector -- instructing Wei Wuxian to take on his identity and exact revenge on those who wronged him. Around the same time, a number of junior cultivators arrive at the manor, to help exorcise the walking corpses that have been causing trouble in the region for some time. Wei Wuxian is immediately cautious: he has a complicated dynamic with the Gusu Lan Sect, to which this group belongs -- in particular, due to his past relationship with Lan Wangji (to him, Lan Zhan), who is a leader within the sect.


That night, the group is attacked by members of the Mo family (sans Wei Wuxian as Mo Xuanyu), who's bodies are, one after the other, possessed by a malicious spirit sword that has infiltrated their land. During this confrontation, we see the first reappearance of Lan Wangji, summoned by his subordinates. Wei Wuxian, worried about being recognised by him, manages to sneak away unnoticed, before he has the chance to be found out. However, soon after, he ends up being discovered by Lan Wangji anyway, when they happen upon each other during an unrelated incident at Dafan Mountain.


2FxAIoV.jpg

Wei Wuxian during his initial confrontation with Lan Wangji


We then go back in time: Wei Wuxian and his siblings have been newly invited to study at the Cloud Recesses in Gusu. It is here that he meets Lan Wangji for the first time. Lan Wangji is initially hostile towards Wei Wuxian, as he believes, in the typical manner of the Gusu Lan Sect member, that Wei Wuxian lacks discipline (which the Lan sect is strigently against). During Wei Wuxian's first night in the Cloud Recesses, he is caught in an attempt to sneak liquor into the premises by Lan Wangji, and a fight breaks out between the two. In terms of visuality, however, rather than an exercise in violence, the fight looks more like a dance between lovers -- an interesting choice in design. Lan Wangji's character, in particular, is reminiscent of Xiaolongnü (played by Liu Yifei) in his choreographed sequences from the 2006 'Return of the Condor Heroes', what with his white garb, stoic expression and extreme fairylike (很仙气) grace.


One thing to note, is that Wei Wuxian's sword, throughout the duel, never even leaves its scabbard. From this one can draw the conclusion that he is not really attempting to fight Lan Wangji, but is rather just teasing and flirting with him. The scene culminates in a stalemate -- Wei Wuxian is more interested in his broken bottle of alcohol than he is in continuing his fight with Lan Wangji.






The two continue this hot and cold relationship, up until they are summoned by Wen Ruohan to Qishan, for a summer of indoctrination. Here, the two finally meet after months apart -- and after Lan Wangji has had his leg broken in the process of protecting his sect from the Wen Clan. It is here that the plot finally picks up, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, along with numerous other sect heirs, are sent to the Xuanwu cave on a mission. During this time, their relationship appears to grow, from somewhat hostile, to noticeably more warm and positive. It is also here that we first catch a glimpse of Lan Wangji's developing romantic feelings towards Wei Wuxian (even if he himself doesn't recognise them as such), telling him to stop flirting with girls if the doesn't have any feeling towards them. However Wei Wuxian, ever oblivious, interprets this as a sign that Lan Wangji has a crush on Mian Mian -- the opposite of the truth.


Following the completion of their mission, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are once again separated; the latter bound by his duties in the rebuilding of his sect, the former still recovering from injuries sustained in a previous battle at the Lotus Pier. The conclusion of the first distinct arc of the drama sees the destruction of the Lotus pier and Wei Wuxian being thrown into the Burial Mounds by Wen Chao with no hope for survival, while Lan Wangji desperately searchs for him.


w9eiuOQ.jpg

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji in the Cold Cave at the back mountains of Yunshen (The Gusu Cloud Recesses)


I found that the pace of plot progression within the first arc was quite slow, not picking up until about episode 12, with the summoning to Qishan. Furthermore, aside from the first two episodes, the storytelling is completely linear in chronology -- a far cry from the original novel, and the Donghua adaption, both of which employ a largely discontinuous, flashback-centric method. The first half of this arc is dedicated almost entirely to character development; we learn about Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, about their developing relationships with each other and the people around them, about the ever-present threat of danger posed by the Wen Clan, and about their pain as mere children being forced into immense struggles. One major issue I had here was regarding the hugely consequential plot changes introduced within this first half. Wei Wuxian, defined in the original novel by his status as the founder of Demonic Cultivation, is portrayed as a mere practitioner of the Arts (he is replaced, in this regard, by a Xue Chonghai, an invention of this particular script). In my opinion, this is reductive to his character -- in the text, Wei Wuxian's innovation in novel cultivation methods is indicative of his remarkable intelligence and ingenuity.


a9PbjxO.jpg

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian in the back mountains of the Cloud Recesses in Gusu.


A peculiar bit of trivia about Mandarin language dramas: often, mostly in cases where a member of the on-screen cast is considered to have a 'non-standard' regional accent, a voice actor is hired to dub over them in post. In this drama, for instance, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji (portrayed on-screen by Xiao Zhan and Yang Wibo), are dubbed by Lu Zhixing and Bian Jiang (both of whom have played the same characters in previous adaptations), respectively. Bian Jiang, in addition to this, was also the voice director for the reason -- and it is easy to see why. His measured and deliberate style, while very different from his previous work with the character, is fantastic. He does especially well, funnily enough, in emotionally charged scenes -- such as in Lan Wangji's desperate call as Wei Wuxian falls to his death in the first episode². As for the on-screen acting itself, this series has what is, in my opinion, some of Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan's best work to date. Wang Yibo, in particular, is worthy of praise -- his portrayal of the sober, taciturn Lan Wangji, and the life he has brought to the role with nothing but the subtle expressiveness of his facial movements, has left me in awe. Interestingly, he himself has openly admitted to the initial struggle he'd had with the potentially limiting character. Xiao Zhan's acting was superb also, showing off an impressive dynamic range in his interpretation of Wei Wuxian's growth from a carefree teenager, to a morally ambiguous adult, captive to his own immense power and responsibility.


In conclusion, while I think that the opening arc of 'The Untamed' is a fitting introduction to a tale of epic proportions, I don't believe that the creative liberties taken with the plot add any value overarching story -- besides further complicating an already overwhelming canon. Nevertheless, it does have many strong points. Most notably, it succeeds where other post-'Addicted' dramas have failed -- in its subtextual communication of the homosexual relationship of the protagonists, maintaining the sanctity of the bond between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji in a way that is universally appreciable.


wLVInQM.jpg



¹ A Cultivator is a person who strives to increase their spiritual power with the eventual goal of immortality through the cultivation of one's 'Qi' and training their body in both martial and mystical based on Taoist teachings. Whereas a Demonic Cultivator is a person who harnesses resentful energy given off by walking corpses, this form of cultivation does not require a 'Golden Core', which is what allows cultivators to practice cultivation in the first place, one cannot gain another 'Golden Core' once it has been removed from them.

² I will go in depth about the vocal performances in the next part of this series.


Main Characters & their multiple names:

Wèi Wúxiàn:
Portrayed by: Xiao Zhan & Lu Zhixing (overdubbing)
Birth Name: Wèi Yīng
Courtesy Name: Wèi Wúxiàn
Title: Yílíng Lǎozǔ (Yiling Patriarch)
Weapons:
The 'Chénqíng' flute (to express sentiments).
'Suíbiàn', his sword (lit. whatever).
'Stygian Tiger Seal' (formerly)
Inventions: 'Stygian Tiger Seal', 'Compass of Evil', and 'Spirit Attraction Flag'

Lán Wàngjī:
Portrayed by: Wang Yibo & Bian Jiang (overdubbbing)
Birth Name:
Lán Zhàn
Courtesy Name: Lán Wàngjī
Title: Hánguāng-jūn ('Light-Bearing Lord')
Weapons:
'Bìchén' (lit. to avoid wordly matters), his sword.
The 'Wàngjī' Guqin.

Jiāng Chéng:
Portrayed by: Wang Zhuocheng & Wang Kai (overdubbing)
Birth Name: Jiāng Chéng
Courtesy Name: Jiāng Wǎnyín
Title: Sāndú Shèngshǒu
Weapons: the electric whip 'Zǐdiàn' and his sword, 'Sāndú'

Wēn Níng:
Portrayed by: Yu Bin & Li Xin (overdubbing)
Birth Name: Wēn Níng
Courtesy Name: Wēn Qiónglín
Title: Guǐ jiāngjūn ('Ghost General')



Hotlinks:

Find the Donghua on Youtube and WeTV
For the Novel:
OG Chinese version: https://www.luoxia.com/modaozushi/
English Translation: https://exiledrebelsscanlations.com/novels/grandmaster-of-demonic-cultivation/
Alternate English Translations: Doc with links to translations
Find the Web Drama on YouTube, WeTV, Netflix or Rakuten Viki
The WeTV Special Edition Compilation Drama Series: WeTV, YouTube
^ It's spin-off movie 'The Living Dead' on the IQIYI App, with full English Subtitles
Find the Audio Drama at Suibian Subs (via their Discord)
Find the Manhua at WeComics, or fan-translated here

__________________________________________________

Story: 7/10
Characters: 10/10
Cinematography: 8/10
Music: 9/10
Voice Acting: 10/10
Acting: 8/10
CGI: 4/10

8/10
__________________________________________________

PROOFREAD BY: TIMINGIL
GRAPHICS BY: AKIDOKI
 

soozie

✴︎ Events Donor
Joined
Jun 16, 2019
Posts
6,294
Reaction score
16,878
Points
59,420
Plus Coins
⨭88,533
I like how you always go really in depth with your review. I watched the first 2 eps and it was really interesting :munchlax:
 

Chu

୨୧ Early Supporters
Joined
Jun 15, 2019
Posts
511
Reaction score
1,066
Points
14,520
Location
☆☽
Plus Coins
⨭1,217,698
great review!
i might pick it up again, i put it on hold after ep 7 i think? i liked the beginning but then the plot got dry. hopefully it picks up after that
 
Top Bottom