Crayons
Iconoclast
Pronouncing all the X's like "ex" as in "Professor Ex-avier" [sic]. XD
idk I don't think multitasking is a good idea, you'd miss out on all the prettiness. I want every second glued to the screen.
TV & Film Fans of The Untamed or MDZS/ Master of Diabolism (etc.)
- Thread starter Crayons
- Start date
Pronouncing all the X's like "ex" as in "Professor Ex-avier" [sic]. XD
idk I don't think multitasking is a good idea, you'd miss out on all the prettiness. I want every second glued to the screen.
Onmyoji
HanGuang-Jun
When you already watched over 9000 times it's okay to multitask. Then again, after 9000 times you don't even need subtitles XD
Crayons
Iconoclast
You should know the whole script off by heart by then. XD
Onmyoji
HanGuang-Jun
lol I remember watching ep1 of the Untamed without subs in Chinese... still understood most of it because it was pretty close to novel and donghua.
Openmindedness1
How will you expand my my mind?
I decided The Untamed shall be my first Chinese Drama. I decided to watch it from the hype and recommendations from my friends. I'm only on episode 4 I think and I should watch more of it to improve my Chinese lol. How many episodes are there total? I cannot binge for my life, so I may or may not need motivation to start watching again lol.
Onmyoji
HanGuang-Jun
There are 50 episodes ^^ So it's a lot to watch but I hope you enjoy it enough to watch all of it
Crayons
Iconoclast
Watch it all. It's worth it.
If you watch one episode a day then that's well over a month of fine, fine television.
Crayons
Iconoclast
OK! I said I was going to give my thoughts on the donghua vs the drama and then I didn't because of having to cut my internet time and so forth, and then I forgot. So here it is:
Not really any spoilers here tbh but if you're very averse to them maybe don't read.
Its interesting seeing how they differ merely because of the medium they are told in. The animation relies more on fight scenes and flashy effects, whereas the drama actively tries to avoid these. The story rushes by WAY quicker in the donghua, whereas the drama has a more relaxed pace, and the ability to put in a lot of side stories and extra time for side characters.
The women characters who I thought got pretty short shrift on the drama, are served REALLY badly in the donghua. And likewise, there is not much in the way of character introduction or foreshadowing. Personally, I think the side characters, especially the women were done by a lot better in the drama, especially the development of Wen Qing. Also gotta love drama Jiang Yanli who does things!
A couple of noticeable ways that they are different in terms of story, are in LWJ and WXX's relationship, and in WWX's motivations. I feel like LWJ and WWX don't really know each other that well/like each other at all until after the time skip, whereas in the drama it's all about those two "liking" each other from very early on and all the eye-acting and flirting-not-flirting and so on.
As regards WWX's motives, in the donghua it's portrayed as though he has this recurring fascination with demonic cultivation and is constantly trying to stop himself from doing it, whereas the drama portrays it more like he's a guy who thinks outside the box, but only gets into demonic cultivation because he has no other choice.
I don't know which of these is more faithful to the original as I am only at chapter 13 of the novel and not much has happened yet.
Overall, while the animation is cool... I still prefer the drama a lot. Decompressed storytelling in something so complex really works well, also ... it's so gosh darn pretty.
Those are my thoughts!
Please discuss if you have things to add or to refute!
Not really any spoilers here tbh but if you're very averse to them maybe don't read.
Its interesting seeing how they differ merely because of the medium they are told in. The animation relies more on fight scenes and flashy effects, whereas the drama actively tries to avoid these. The story rushes by WAY quicker in the donghua, whereas the drama has a more relaxed pace, and the ability to put in a lot of side stories and extra time for side characters.
The women characters who I thought got pretty short shrift on the drama, are served REALLY badly in the donghua. And likewise, there is not much in the way of character introduction or foreshadowing. Personally, I think the side characters, especially the women were done by a lot better in the drama, especially the development of Wen Qing. Also gotta love drama Jiang Yanli who does things!
A couple of noticeable ways that they are different in terms of story, are in LWJ and WXX's relationship, and in WWX's motivations. I feel like LWJ and WWX don't really know each other that well/like each other at all until after the time skip, whereas in the drama it's all about those two "liking" each other from very early on and all the eye-acting and flirting-not-flirting and so on.
As regards WWX's motives, in the donghua it's portrayed as though he has this recurring fascination with demonic cultivation and is constantly trying to stop himself from doing it, whereas the drama portrays it more like he's a guy who thinks outside the box, but only gets into demonic cultivation because he has no other choice.
I don't know which of these is more faithful to the original as I am only at chapter 13 of the novel and not much has happened yet.
Overall, while the animation is cool... I still prefer the drama a lot. Decompressed storytelling in something so complex really works well, also ... it's so gosh darn pretty.
Those are my thoughts!
Please discuss if you have things to add or to refute!
Onmyoji
HanGuang-Jun
Spoilers maybe
Wen Qing got a lot more development in the drama than she ever did anywhere. Basically, bigger chunk of her entire plotline happens only in the drama, aside from a few key points.
Yanli also got more screen time than ever, but I think her plot lines were close enough to the novel without drastic changes like Wen Qing.
WWX was sure that LWJ hates him. They had a lot less interactions when they were younger. And that was why WWX after rebirth was flirting on purpose so hard because he was sure that LWJ would aggro on that. And when LWJ didn't, his pattern of perceiving LWJ collapsed.
But the drama spent more time developing his character, so it feels more natural there.
I agree with that. Donghua felt SUPER rushed, especially in season 2. It is very clear they didn't have enough screen time for everything. Now they have like what, 7-8 episodes left, and still need to squeeze in Yi City and the actual 'present' story. Unless they add more episodes on s3, I don't know how they'll chop down the story in the end, but I already feel sorry for it.
unfortunately, MDZS on the whole is not very kind to female characters. Not because they're badly written, but because how little time to shine they all have.
Wen Qing got a lot more development in the drama than she ever did anywhere. Basically, bigger chunk of her entire plotline happens only in the drama, aside from a few key points.
Yanli also got more screen time than ever, but I think her plot lines were close enough to the novel without drastic changes like Wen Qing.
yeah, the mutual pining and flirting-not-flrting is uparalleled in the drama, but I think donghua is closer to original in this regard.
WWX was sure that LWJ hates him. They had a lot less interactions when they were younger. And that was why WWX after rebirth was flirting on purpose so hard because he was sure that LWJ would aggro on that. And when LWJ didn't, his pattern of perceiving LWJ collapsed.
that's quite interesting comment actually. I think all of that applies to WWX to some degree, across all adaptations. And he really had no other choice in Burial Mounds.
But the drama spent more time developing his character, so it feels more natural there.
Despite being rushed and fiddling with some plots and timelines, donghua is closer to the novel than the drama. Drama had a lot of changes to the novel. To the point I perceive it as alternative timeline because many things still happened like but not quite the same way and it had a lot of additions that were never mentioned in the novel XD
Crayons
Iconoclast
I dunno, seems to me there's something a bit off when there are sooooo many characters but the women are like "Oh yeah here's a woman, she's someone's sister. OK, she's gone now"... imo giving them zero time to shine even as side characters does mean they are badly written.
I kinda liked how there were a lot of cool female cultivators at least mentioned, and many present in the group scenes, during most of the drama. Although they seem to kind of forget this at some point and all the women get shuffled off the playing board. :/
Yeah I got that impression. I prefer the drama way because that thirty episode flashback would be boring as heck without the interactions between those two. Although, I guess, they could just not have spent thirty chapters on the flashback...? XD But let's face it at least 50% of the enjoyment comes from those two and their unspoken attraction.
I think it would have felt natural had they developed his character as being attracted to demonic cultivation from early on as well, like in the donghua, if they had chosen to do it that way. I heard somewhere that in the drama they made his character less morally grey because of censorship - heroes need to be heroic.... but idk if that's true. It's certainly true that they played down his own role in losing control of the magic, and put that more on the bad guys. I think it would have been better and more in keeping with the character and theme if WWX losing control was more overt and less hand-waved into the baddies' court in the Guanyin Temple scene
Onmyoji
HanGuang-Jun
Yeah it was his fault entirely. No baddies.
Well, there was some interference but on entirely different level.
He made this kind of cultivation himself. But he still had no choice. The fact he thought about it when he was younger was more along the lines of being cool and thinking outside the box. But when he had no other option he went for it and succeeded.
And he lost control when he thought he wouldn't. He did bad things kinda more like by accident but he still did them on his own.
Well, there was some interference but on entirely different level.
He made this kind of cultivation himself. But he still had no choice. The fact he thought about it when he was younger was more along the lines of being cool and thinking outside the box. But when he had no other option he went for it and succeeded.
And he lost control when he thought he wouldn't. He did bad things kinda more like by accident but he still did them on his own.
Crayons
Iconoclast
Crayons
Iconoclast
Can anyone explain why Nie Mingjue becomes sworn brothers with Jin Guangyao, even though he clearly suspects him and dislikes (at least) him? I just don't understand where that came from suddenly....
Onmyoji
HanGuang-Jun
Spoilers warning!
During Sunshot Campaign, when Jin Guangyao disappeared from sight, he went to Qishan as a spy. He sent information to Lan Xichen. So Lan Xichen was very grateful to him. He also tried to mediate between him and Nie Mingjue because he genuinely thought Jin Guangyao was a good person and a hero after what he did in Qishan. I think one of the main reasons they became sworn brothers was Lan Xichen. Also, Nie Mingjue still respected Jin Guangyao, even if he didn't like him. He acknowledged that he was very smart and capable. And he agreed to becoming sworn brothers because he thought it would help him to influence Jin Guangyao as his 'brother' and make him a better person.
During Sunshot Campaign, when Jin Guangyao disappeared from sight, he went to Qishan as a spy. He sent information to Lan Xichen. So Lan Xichen was very grateful to him. He also tried to mediate between him and Nie Mingjue because he genuinely thought Jin Guangyao was a good person and a hero after what he did in Qishan. I think one of the main reasons they became sworn brothers was Lan Xichen. Also, Nie Mingjue still respected Jin Guangyao, even if he didn't like him. He acknowledged that he was very smart and capable. And he agreed to becoming sworn brothers because he thought it would help him to influence Jin Guangyao as his 'brother' and make him a better person.
Crayons
Iconoclast
More spoilers.
I get Xichen wanting to do the brothers thing, but it seems unlikely to me that he could convince Nie Mingjue to do it.. ? Maybe it's just how they portrayed it in the drama, but it went from scene of Mingjue trying to kill the fuck out of Yao and then getting the explanation of him being a spy which seemed to go down like a lead balloon judging by his expression - plus he's still suspicious of Yao killing Captain Boozeface back when the Wen were attacking Unclean Realm. Then bang, sworn brothers. I understand wanting to change someone but becoming sworn brothers with someone you don't trust seems kind of duplicitous and/or self deceiving which doesn't jive with NMJ's character imo. Is there more explanation of this in the novel? Or is this a drama-only set of circumstances?
Onmyoji
HanGuang-Jun
basically, what I said was explanation from the novel XD
It comes down to Xichen being uwu and trying to reconcile his friends - he was on good terms with both Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue and wanted them to get along too. And also because Nie Mingjue thought he could have more influence on Jin Guangyao that way.
Crayons
Iconoclast
Man they could have shown just one scene of that in the drama. XD
Xichen blinded by his lurve for A-Yao... sigh XD
Onmyoji
HanGuang-Jun
I mean XD
They showed Xichen treated him well from the start. And Jin Guangyao reciprocated.
They showed Xichen treated him well from the start. And Jin Guangyao reciprocated.
Crayons
Iconoclast
Oh, I meant they should have shown more of Nie Mingjue's relationship with Xichen, and Mingjue's turn of feelings in regard to Yao. Xichen and Yao were making goo-goo eyes at each other almost as much as LWJ and WWX, no shortage of that. XDDD
Onmyoji
HanGuang-Jun
Ah yes, they didn't really show it.
In novel it was also not too thoroughly described, but at least mentioned
In novel it was also not too thoroughly described, but at least mentioned
Crayons
Iconoclast
Bad mistake on NMJ's part.
I wonder if Huaisang tried to talk him out of it when he realised that Jin Guangyao was dodgy af.
Onmyoji
HanGuang-Jun
I don't think anyone realised he was that dodgy until it became too late. He was a very good liar after all.
Crayons
Iconoclast
But Huaisang must have noticed it at some point, even if it was just suspicions, in order for him to know certain things that he later relies on in his over elaborate scheme.
I don't know exactly why, but I feel like Jin Guangyao is the kind of character I would make. XD He has that whole "politeness and lying are just two ends of a spectrum" thing that I enjoy.
Onmyoji
HanGuang-Jun
Oh yeah, I'm sure he did. But maybe others wouldn't believe him. This is really not covered in the novel so we can only make assumptions how it developed. But Huaisang definitely started to act after his brother died. I'm sure he knew by then that Jin Guangyao was involved.
Haha he is a cool character XD I don't like him for his actions but the fact he pulled it off for so long and no one noticed until he was directly exposed, just wow.
Reid
certified jin guangyao apologist 🧚♂️
Commenting in hopes that seeing this on the first page might catch another fan's eye here. Also, yall two already know my feelings over jgy so I'm gonna be
But one thing I loved in Fatal Journey was that sneaky ass last scene where Huaisang bows to Guangyao when he comes into his room after nmj's funeral. If looks could kill. Oof jesus!! And rewatching the series a second time definately had me eyeballing every interaction nhs has with jgy in the present/after nmj's death
just gonna plop this here
But one thing I loved in Fatal Journey was that sneaky ass last scene where Huaisang bows to Guangyao when he comes into his room after nmj's funeral. If looks could kill. Oof jesus!! And rewatching the series a second time definately had me eyeballing every interaction nhs has with jgy in the present/after nmj's death
just gonna plop this here
