“Untamed” is a drama with brilliant directors,
scenography and cast. Each of the actors perfectly fits to his role, and the
way the story unfolds will leave you breathless.
The drama is based on the popular Chinese novel “Mo Dao Zu Shi” (translated as “The grandmaster of Demonic cultivation”) written by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. The popular genders of the drama are shounen-ai and xianxia (based of mixture between fantasy, fiction, history and Daoism practices).
The main male leads are made the by the great
performance of Sean Xiao (in role of Wei WuXian from Yunmeng Jiang Clan) and
Wang Yi Bo (in the character Lan WangJi from Gusu Lan Clan).
The story reveals the mysteries and series of murders
in the world of Demonic cultivation, where the two men are united by strong
friendship and unfolding love between them.
What makes the genre shounen ai so popular in the last
years?
There are several points I want to mention here.
Shounen ai represents the strong unity and love between two male characters.
They are usually overcoming conflicts and social restrictions or judgements, in
order to be devoted to a cause. Exactly that makes them stick together as
brothers, who always search for each other.
Shounen ai however differs from Yaoi, which has
explicit sexual scenes and doesn’t hide the romance. Shounen ai is very soft
version of Bromance.
The things that makes this genre attractive refer to:
- Growing intensive affection and love
between the characters;
Usually all dramas with the love story between male and
female character also have some kind of conflict in the beginning, which has
the function to increase the inner tension and sparks the flame of love between
them. In Shounen ai this tension of feeling should be hidden more or less (in
the beginning), due to the obvious taboo. That taboo is even more underlined
due to the reality of restrictions put on such kind of stories in China
2). The equality and the opposition of the characters.
While mostly in the male-female love story there is always hint subordination
of the female lead to the male. That means mostly males are the one who move
the story and make it intense in different ways (by wars, fight, defending,
resolving mysteries…). Female is there to keep them safe and to maintain their
feelings with charm, love, gentleness or smart choices. That’s why most of the
new dramas rely on sharp or conflicting, “wild” females, who are controversial.
That would make the story more interesting. In case of Shounen ai, or “Untamed”
both characters are equal, as a male. That means they are both creating
themselves, independently of one another, until they unveil their true love.
That makes characters feelings a nice mixture of friendship, brotherhood,
rejection, opposition and deep love. The fact that the Wei WuXian and Lan Zhan
are totally different personalities is not by chance. In this way we can figure
out the way they fall in love –which is more complex, and refers also to feminine
and masculine elements. In that way while Wei Wu Xian is wild, provocative,
initiating conflicts, shameless, joking, but he is fire in this point or Yin
energy, but he also have the aspect of gentleness, compassion, empathy,
kindness, being fighter for truth. From another side the character of Lan WanJi
is always quiet, introspective, introvert, not speaking, has hidden emotions,
he is cool as Ice or water (which is in fact feminine element), but he is also defending,
protecting, fighting for the person he loves. He has strong principles and
values of truth and justice, which also makes him reveal the same side within
Wei WuXian.
Exactly that revelation of each other` s Pure heart,
clear mind and strong values make the characters so attractive to public and so
intense.
- -- Idealistic love beyond conditions and time;
I think the movie wouldn`t be so intense and
characters so charming if there were allowed to express their feelings in more
sexual way. Even it could lose some of its nice intensity between them. That’s
because another strong reason for the popularity of the movie is underlying
Idealism and references to Daoism philosophy. Idealism is something which is
not easily achieved in the ordinary” relationship between man and woman. They
cant be defending each other in the same way, and in fact cant act as equals. They
are more or less in conflict, tension or opposition with each other. While the
male characters in this drama have this conflict in the beginning only as a
charm of love tension between them. Their love story in the movie is quite
pure, intense, growing, it stands out of conditions or expectations. Their love
and brotherhood becomes strong as it stands beyond time and space, beyond
circumstances or social judgements. That’s why we can call it idealistic.
--- Another reason for the attractiveness of that
drama is, it has unexpected unfolding of the mysteries and circumstances and
social resistance. The tragic end (with so many bl dramas) is well referring to
the reality, and impossibility of the couple to be together. This impossibility
also create more intense love, desire and longing between the male lovers. They
have strong resistance of the established social rules, restrictions and
taboos. But that resistance breaks their freedom of soul. They cant feel free
to share and indulge in their intimate feelings, which make them unable to live
more. In the Untamed story Lan WanJi is resisting the strong rules, strictness
and Judgement of his clan. Not only because he is dedicated to protect his love
for Wei Wu Xian, but also because he protects his own Truth and values. He is
in fact the only one (with exception of the sister of Wei Wu Xian), who
understands the real Wei and his heart. The first such moment of love sparkle
and feeling of each others heart was in the scenes with flying lanterns with
rabbit drawing. Lan Zhan looks to Wei in special way, exactly because he
listened to his inner wish and his words, that he wants to always stands on the
side of truth and justice.
Another moment of love sharing and intensity was in
the waterfall cave, where Lan Zhan consciously tied the hand of his friend to
his own wrist. (strong reference for intimate feelings and being a couple).
Quite fascinating and appealing scene is in the cave where Wei WuXian is so
caring and protective to his beloved WanJi, and he is not afraid to show him
his love, while tying the wound on the leg of Lan Zhan with his headband.
One of the most heart braking scenes is the battle of
Lanling, where everyone concentrates to take the Stigian Tiger Amulet. Then Lan
Wanji protects his beloved willingly, knowing the consequences, and the way he
tried to save Wei Wu Xian falling from the cliff. The blood drops on his white
robe represent the strong passion, love, trust, loyalty and devotion for his
love Wei. It also represents revelation of their love (by all others, who
witness these scene).
From this moment Lan Wanji cant hide his feelings. His
eyes are intensively and gently look to his friend, without hiding. If he is
silent, his eyes speak much more clearly, as well as his actions of protection.
There are multiple symbolic elements in the drama.
Like white rabbits represent pure love, friendship, gentle energy, loyalty and
playfulness between both. The sword is clearly phallic symbol, which is very
well intertwined in the whole movie. The cave that they go in represents
initiation, building strength, overcoming past, and going out of the cave is
awakening and revelation of love feelings.
The headband is symbol of dedication to cause or
organization, belonging to clan, principles and rules. Lotus flower is amazing
reference to qualities of spiritual power, purity of Mind, wisdom and serenity,
the state of mind they both want to achieve. Lotus flower has also association
with the past memories, realizing mistakes and spiritual awakening.
The lake can represent many things but for me mostly
the subconscious and conscious mind. While they were both in the lotus lake
they are consciously aware of their strong bound, love and affection. They are
also talking silently with eyes expression, or sometimes telepathically.
Character of Lan Zhan is so difficult exactly because
he is silent, with few straight sentences. That makes his role to put accent on
face and eyes expression, and on the way his body stands next to his beloved
Wei Wu Xian. Protection, absolute trust and loyalty to his friend are some of
the character traits that reveal his love as idealistic out of time affection.
He is always by his side, no matter what. The only time when he confess his regrets
in front of Wei, was that he couldn’t give all of him to save him and stand by
his side while on the mountain battle.
The white robe of Lan Zhan represents purity, harmony,
spirituality, dedication, inner values. While the black costume of Wei Wu Xian
can refer to passion, mystery, hidden aspects of soul, hiding, not being seen
by others, solitude, isolation, reflection. So we have opposition of fire and
ice, revelation and hiding, outspoken and silent, expressing emotions and
concealing, innocence and desire.
That’s how all the movie series have the amazing charm
of much more intense look of love and couple, no matter the hidden physical
expressions of affection.
In that way the drama is wide spread trough many group
ages and specially among teenagers between 13-17, or 17- 22.
I could say no matter in what age you are, you will
take something beautiful from the movie, as it has fascinating sceneries,
costumes, performance, music and camera. All of them are working in ideal
harmony –which shows how much work everyone put to make this movie.
And Thank you, Xiexie for the spectacular experience.
Nina Nour
- 03.05.2020
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