The Untamed is a drama about cultivators, it is part of the fantasy genre and uses an interesting magical system that I am excited to learn more about. There is a lot being set up in this first episode including the relationship between Wei Wexian and Lan Wangji, Wei Wexian is the main character so far and he is very in love with Lan Wangji. The pining is quite powerful and I can just see the way he wants to approach him but Wei Wexian is meant to be dead so he cannot. Imagine seeing the man you love after reawakening to your own identity and you can not even talk to him without risking his life. Is it not a tragedy akin to Romeo and Juliet? Just as in many cultures being a Homosexual is now looked down upon but in older societies it was fine so long as there were still heirs, this is two men who love each other more than life itself. Lahn Zhan even made certain that Wei Wexian would survive the battle that should have killed him, but he survived without his memories. This stygian tiger that was being fought over raises many questions but it seems like it will be explained more in depth later along with the system of magic being used. It seems that both Wei Wexian and Lan Wangji are master cultivators, better at the craft than all of the others shown in the first episode. Leading me to wonder if there are others better than the two or if they are truly masters of Cultivation.

This show was based on a novel called Mo Dao Zu Shi or The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, there are some key differences between the drama and the novel. Namely in the novel the two men are able to marry and kiss, whereas to pass the censors they are unable to do either in the show. Instead there are clever nods to what is happening off screen, two rabbits bumping noses to show a kiss, the giving of lucky money together, they even bow to an ancestor together. None of it is overtly romantic but if you know the subtext for somethings then it feels much more satisfying. Both the novel and the show are extremely popular worldwide, I first heard of the show from an Australian individual I follow on the social media website Tumblr. Having only seen an episode has me excited for the many things that haven’t happened quite yet on screen for me and I plan to find a copy of the novel, in part for the more romantic moments and in part because this is a wonderful story. I am honestly excited to sit down, watch and read this harrowing tale of love and monsters. Will it live up to the high expectations that have been set by both myself and the other fans or will I be left disappointed and feeling robbed as so many others have? Will this feel like another bit of queer baiting or will I be fulfilled when I finish this endeavor?