The Untamed Review: The Fantasy Epic That Built a Global Fandom
★★★★½ 4.5/5
A gorgeous, sweeping fantasy epic with a deeply felt emotional core — one of the great international breakouts of modern Chinese television.
Myth on an epic scale
Adapted from Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s novel, The Untamed conjures a fully realised world of warring cultivation clans, spirit weapons and ancient grievances, and stages it with a lavishness that announced Chinese fantasy television’s arrival on the global stage. The production design — flowing robes, misty mountains, ghostly set-pieces — turns folklore into genuine spectacle.
A story told in two times
The series’ clever structure braids a present-day mystery with an extended flashback to the tragedy that shaped it, so that every revelation recolours what came before. This time-braided approach transforms what could be a simple adventure into something closer to a lament — a story about memory, injustice and the long shadow of a life cut short in disgrace.
The bond at its heart
What made The Untamed a phenomenon is the relationship between its two leads — a mischievous, principled outcast and his steadfast counterpart — played with real tenderness by Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo. Their loyalty across death and dishonour is the show’s beating heart, and the emotional investment it generated crossed every language barrier.
The genre’s rough edges
The show wears the marks of its genre and budget — occasional uneven effects, a plot that demands patience with its mythology. But its conviction and craft carry it past these limits with room to spare.
Verdict
The Untamed is a rich, romantic fantasy epic that earned its devoted global following — beautiful, moving and utterly transporting. A gateway to the pleasures of Chinese costume drama.