I absolutely loved this show.

So I've been avoiding The Untamed for a while even though it is top rated on MDL. I'm glad I picked it up because this was such a delight. I've seen a few wuxia shows, and this is my favourite. Although they didn't do anything pathbreaking, what they put together was absolutely amazing.

Why you should watch:
1. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are the best soulmates ever and despite the censorship considerations you can absolutely feel their love. Also if you're not into BL or trying to avoid this because of the BL, please rest assured that this can be interpreted as a bromance.
2. Wei Wuxian (portrayed so well by Xiao Zhan) is a charming character whose choices are often different from the norm. You feel for him as he goes from being popular to becoming a public enemy. His friendship, loyalty and love for his clan members and others he meets along the journey was truly heartwarming.
3. Although the show toned down the controversial nature of Wei Wuxian and his path, its still a story about a man who strays from the norm and practices things which are considered 'evil' from the popular perspective. There are interesting questions about right and wrong, black and white.
4. The opposition to Wei Wuxian is also very interesting, in the beginning we only see pure evil being portrayed by the Wen clan leader, however once they are taken down you no longer get a clear view of what's on the good or bad side. There are questions about public perceptions and how strong they can get and how different it might be from reality.
5. All the cute boys! The whole cast is beautiful. Although none of them are experienced actors, they did a fairly good job and unless you're really picky you'll enjoy their performance.


What you may not like:
1. The production value isn't the highest so there are some issues. The costumes aren't the best, CGI isn't the best, editing isn't the best etc.
2. The opening two episodes are rather confusing because the timeline opens at the middle of the story and then theres a flashback to 16 years earlier.
3. If you want a romance between a man and a woman, none of it in this show.
4. The plot gets fairly heavy and heartbreaking in the middle, if you are looking for fluff this might be too much.

Overall I suggest everyone to watch this beautiful story with the cutest characters.

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Some cute chemistry and a straightforward short story

What strikes you as soon as you start watching is the sizzling chemistry between the two men. The show is very straightforward about its purpose: showing how the two boys who have been friends for a very long time become overwhelmed with feelings and desire for each other.

The casting is perfect, and both the leads have given a wonderful performance. Han Gi Chan shines as Tae Joo with his charming persona. The style of the drama is like other kdramas, aesthetics are great and the colour palette just right.

UPDATE: I somehow found the last two episodes kind of cringey, their acting seemed to lack as they were forced to show more emotions. The kiss wasn't necessary if it wasn't going to be convincing... they could have just added an implicated kiss or a hug.

Either ways, fans of BL will definitely enjoy this short web drama. Well worth 80 minutes of your time!

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Cliffhanger ending! Brilliant political scheming and very smart characters all around.

This is season 1 of Joy Of Life, it ends on a cliffhanger. It'll 5 years (3 seasons) for the entire story to finish airing.

NOTE: If you don't mind #1 in cons, the overall rating would be 9.5

This show is about the journey of Fan Xian, a baby born in the feudal era with the complete memories of an adult man in modern times. He grows up in the countryside but is pulled into the midst of the power struggle in the capital city.

I loved following the story of Fan Xian. It was quite an exciting ride to watch the strings being pulled by different characters and how they all have their interests. Allegiances are confusing and you never really know who is planning what. The story never drags and there's always a new exciting thing getting your attention. There are hidden badass martial artists, political masterminds, ancient temple full of secrets, Fan Xian's mystery mom who seems almost magical and so much more to delight you. Its definitely worthy of its popularity and praise.


Pros:

1. Political schemes/manipulation: There are a lot of capable people trying to do different things to gain power/accomplish some other goal. Its fun to watch how them trying to trick each other.
2. Multiple smart characters (including the the really smart MC) : All capable and worthy of attention. If you are usually annoyed by dumb and incompetent characters, this is good for you.
3. Beautiful sets/ clothes: Some may find the makeup on certain characters excessive but I personally did not mind.
4. The different characters with special skills, all serving a purpose and being a cohesive part of the story
5. Amazing acting by the cast, all of them have done a great job. Especially The Emperor and Chen Ping Ping.

Cons:

1. The original novel depicts harem relationships(the ML is involved with various women and married to two). The show tries to tone this down by having only one official love interest but there is ample flirting and intense gazes with the other women. This personally bothered me so make your own judgement about that.
2. The MC is little OP, things always go as he plans.
3. There is sci fi involved as an undercurrent which seems a little strange considering majority of the plot is about the time they exist in and the political scheming going on. This may be more relevant as the story progresses.
4. The cliffhanger ending and a 5 year long wait time for the series to complete.

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I am dropping this show after 14 episodes. It started out great, Dilraba was stunning in her wedding dress and red lipstick when she met the hero in his all-black biker outfit.

I started getting disappointed because of the lacklustre acting and uncharismatic characters. I like Dilraba but her acting here seems off and I had a hard time believing her. The ML didn't charm me at all and I don't get the capable, confident man vibes from him. Their romance has been pretty boring with no swoon-worthy moments or humour to make up for it. Overall, not a fan of the leads or the interaction between them. The secondary couple is fairly cute but they didn't hold my attention for long.

The plot is pretty boring. It's just the same old annoying obsessed SFL trying to create problems for the couple and trying to keep the man to herself no matter how many times he tells her he isn't interested. It's outdated and annoying. The ML in his so-called "honest approach" keeps discouraging the FL. Yea apparently he is doing it to let her improve but I'm just done with his arrogant behaviour.

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Cookie cutter cold male CEO- bubbly assistant romance

Dropping this, the show is pretty boring. I watched until episode 4. The plot seems very redundant with the traumatic past resulting in cold ML, a bubbly FL breaking his mold, a clingy confidant of the ML being jealous all that jazz. Plot movement is slow and the romance hasn't sucked me in. The humour is very mild and didn't make me laugh.

The acting is fine, the ML doesn't have to act anyways since is the arrogant cold faced CEO so I guess we could say he does his job well. The FL is doing her part well but The dubbed voice on Liang Jie is not convincing since I'm used to her natural voice. I mainly started watching since I'm her fan but the different voice makes me feel like I'm not even watching her.

Overall watch this if you're looking for more of the same modern Chinese romcoms which feature CEO-assistant pairs. In my opinion, Lucky's First Love is a better option.

7/10
#Dropped

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