The Untamed (TV series)

The Untamed
Genre	Xianxia
Based on	Mo Dao Zu Shi by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Written by	Yang Xia Deng Yaoyu Ma Jing Guo Guangyun
Directed by	Zheng Weiwen Chen Jialin
Starring	Xiao Zhan Wang Yibo
Ending theme	"Unrestrained" by Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo
Composer	Lin Hai
Country of origin	China
Original language	Mandarin
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	50 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Sun Huaizhong Wang Xin Han Zhijie
Producers	Fang Fang Yang Xia Zhang Meng Wang Chu Ren Qiang Liu Mingtie Wang Wanning
Production locations	Hengdian World Studios Guizhou
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	45 minutes per episode
Production companies	Tencent Penguin Pictures NSMG (NewStyle Media Group)
Original release
Network	Tencent Video
Release	June 27 (2019-06-27) – August 20, 2019 (2019-08-20)
Related
Mo Dao Zu Shi

The Untamed (Chinese: 陈情令; pinyin: Chén Qíng Lìng) is a 2019 Chinese television series adapted from the danmei novel Mo Dao Zu Shi by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, starring Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo. It follows the adventures of two soulmate cultivators who travel to solve a series of mysteries that link to a tragic event in the past.

The series aired in China on Tencent Video from 27 June to 20 August 2019 culminating with 50 episodes. A 20-episode special edition of the drama aired on WeTV on 25 December 2019. The brand and IP belongs to NewStyle Media Group (NSMG).

The Untamed was a critical and commercial success, both locally and internationally, with critics praising its strong plot, well-rounded characters, and elaborate clothing and makeup. While the original web novel depicted an explicit romance between the two main male characters, the adaptation was censored with homoerotic subtexts instead due to China's ban of LGBT portrayals in films. It became one of the highest-earning dramas of 2019.

According to Research Report on China's Internet Audiovisual Development for 2019 and the beginning of 2020, The Untamed ranked first in terms of popularity index. Due to the series' success, two spin-off movies focusing on supporting characters were released in 2019: Fatal Journey and The Living Dead. The series passed 9.5 billion views on Tencent Video in June 2021, a few days before the second anniversary of its airing date, making it one of the highest-viewed Chinese dramas on the platform. A mobile game based on the series is also set to be released by NetEase Games.

Premise

Wei Wuxian, a loathed cultivator of what some called "dark and demonic arts", is resurrected sixteen years after his tragic death. His return to the world brings him to reunite with the people in his first life, including his soulmate, the honoured Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian then begins to remember his time before his demise, from his beginning as a young cultivator using traditional tools like the sword and musical instruments, to his very personal methods of using resentful energy of departed beings, with the help of innovative tools of his own creation.

The scheming behind his tragic death is slowly unraveled, along with the mysterious death of other people he knew in his past life.

Synopsis

Sixteen years in the past when Wei Wuxian was a teenager and had visited the Gusu Lan Sect to take training, he met his soulmate Lan Wangji, the righteous, quiet natured man born of a noble family. Despite the two having different personalities, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian became good friends after experiencing many adventures and trials together. Wei Wuxian returned to his home after finishing his training at the Gusu Lan Sect, and a series of disastrous events made him give away his spiritual power to save the life of his martial brother, Jiang Cheng. The spiritually weak Wei Wuxian was tortured and thrown into the Burial Mounds by Wen Chao of Qishan Wen Sect, from where he returned after three months but as a man practicing demonic cultivation, which was considered a dark art. Lan Wangji tried to persuade him to give up practicing demonic cultivation but all in vain. As a result of his insistence to practice demonic cultivation, Wei Wuxian lost his reputation and was ostracized. Only Lan Wangji stood by him, trying every possible measure to stop him from being consumed by evil. During the battle at Nightless City, Wei Wuxian killed and harmed many of the disciples of other sects, and was responsible for the death of his martial sister Jiang Yanli. Wei Wuxian committed suicide by jumping off a cliff, unable to be saved by Lan Wangji.

Back to the present time, Wei Wuxian was resurrected by Mo Xuanyu and was cursed to inhabit his body. Despite inhabiting the body of Mo Xuanyu, Lan Wangji was nevertheless able to recognize him. The two solved mysteries that eventually led them to reveal what happened in the past.

Episodes

Main article: List of The Untamed episodes

The series aired on Thursday and Friday (GMT +08:00) with two episodes each, and VIP members could have early access to two more. On the first day of its release, six episodes were available to VIP members. On June 30, 2019, their official Weibo website released a new schedule and shifted the release from Monday to Wednesday. The series ended on August 20, 2019, with the 50th episode. On July 29, 2019, during an official fanmeeting event, they announced that VIP members would be able to watch all the episodes on August 7.

Cast

Main

Actor	Character	Introduction
Xiao Zhan Su Yaxin (young)	Wei Wuxian (Chinese: 魏无羡)	Birth name: Wei Ying (Chinese: 魏婴) Also known as the Yiling Patriarch (Chinese: 夷陵老祖), he is the son of Wei Changze (Jiang Fengmian's friend and servant) and Changse Sanren (a rogue cultivator) who died in a battle when Wei Wuxian was young. He was found by Jiang Fengmian on the streets of Yiling and then was adopted by him. He then became Jiang sect head disciple who later chooses to pursue demonic cultivation. He wields the Suibian sword (Chinese: 随便) and Chenqing flute (Chinese: 陈情), and is known for his ability to invent new spiritual techniques and inventions such as the Stygian Tiger Amulet (Chinese: 阴虎符). He is kind-hearted, optimistic, mischievous, and loyal, and cares deeply for his friends and family. However, due to his nature as a demonic cultivator, his identity as the Yiling Patriarch turned him into a supposedly psychopathic murderer and a boogeyman figure to many. He regards his twin flame, Lan Wangji as his soulmate. In the original novel, he and Lan Wangji are lovers involved in a same-sex romantic relationship.
	Mo Xuanyu (Chinese: 莫玄羽)	The illegitimate son of Jin Guangshan and ex-disciple of the Jin sect. He sacrificed his body to Wei Wuxian through a ritual in order to fulfill his revenge plans, fueling the plot.
Wang Yibo Chen Junkai (young)	Lan Wangji (Chinese: 蓝忘机)	Birth name: Lan Zhan (Chinese: 蓝湛). Also known as Hanguang Jun (Chinese: 含光君), or the Light Bearing Lord, he is the second young master of Lan sect and one of the Twin Jades of Lan. He is the younger brother of Lan Xichen and the second son of Qingheng-Jun (In the original novel, he gets heavily injured when Wen Xu of Qishan Wen Sect burns down The Cloud Recesses and then succumbs to death. However, in the drama, he is already dead) and Madam Lan (dies of an unknown illness when Lan Wangji was six years old). He wields the Bichen sword (Chinese: 避尘) and the Wangji guqin (Chinese: 忘机). He is cold, strict, distant, and difficult to get along with, but has a good heart and a strong sense of justice. He holds a soft spot for his twin flame, Wei Wuxian, whom he regards as his soulmate. In the original novel, he and Wei Wuxian are lovers involved in a same-sex romantic relationship.

Supporting

Gusu Lan Sect

Actor	Character	Introduction
Liu Haikuan Shen Yifeng (young)	Lan Xichen (Chinese: 蓝曦臣)	Birth name: Lan Huan (Chinese: 蓝涣). Also known as Zewu-Jun (Chinese: 泽芜君), or Brilliance Overgrowth Lord, he is the leader and first young master of Lan sect, and one of the Twin Jades of Lan. He is the elder brother of Lan Wangji and the first son of Qingheng-Jun and Madam Lan. He is known as one of the Three Zuns alongside his sworn brothers Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue. He wields the Shuoyue sword (Chinese: 朔月) and the Liebing flute (Chinese: 裂冰). In contrast to his younger brother, he is a kind, gentle, and trusting person.
Huang Ziteng	Lan Qiren (Chinese: 蓝启仁)	The respected elder of Lan sect. The uncle of Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji. An extremely strict teacher who doesn't get along with Wei Wuxian.
Zheng Fanxing Jiang Yiting (young)	Lan Sizhui (Chinese: 蓝思追)	Birth name: Previously Wen Yuan (Chinese: 温苑), now Lan Yuan (Chinese: 蓝愿). A disciple of Lan sect. He was found by Wei Wuxian among the remains of the Wen sect and was raised by him, and later brought back to the Lan sect by Lan Wangji, who raised him after Wei Wuxian's death. He is a calm and elegant individual who carries himself intelligently and sensibly, and is very mature for his age. As a child, he was more of a troublemaker. He is close friends with Lan Jingyi, Jin Ling and Ouyang Zizhen.
Guo Cheng	Lan Jingyi (Chinese: 蓝景仪)	A disciple of Lan sect. Compared to the tranquil personalities of most of his fellow Lan sect members, he is short-tempered and impatient, but kind at heart, and known in the fanbase as the "most un-Lan Lan to ever Lan in the history of Lan". He is close friends with Lan Sizhui, Jin Ling and Ouyang Zizhen.
Carman Lee	Lan Yi (Chinese: 蓝翼)	The only female head in the history of Lan sect. She invented the infamous Chord Assassination technique, and was responsible for guarding a piece of the Stygian Iron (Chinese: 阴铁). She was also a best friend of Baoshan Sanren.

Lanling Jin Sect

Actor	Character	Introduction
Shen Xiaohai	Jin Guangshan (Chinese: 金光善)	The leader of Jin sect. The father of Jin Guangyao, Jin Zixuan and Mo Xuanyu. He is known as a womanizer and has many illegitimate children.
Hu Xiaoting	Madame Jin (Chinese: 金夫人)	The wife of Jin Guangshan and mother of Jin Zixuan.
Zhu Zanjin	Jin Guangyao (Chinese: 金光瑶)	Birth name: Meng Yao (Chinese: 孟瑶). Also known as Lianfang-Zun (Chinese: 敛芳尊), or Hidden Fragrance Master, he is the illegitimate son of Jin Guangshan and became the leader of Jin sect after the latter's death. He is known as one of the Three Zuns alongside his sworn brothers Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue. He wields the Hensheng (Chinese: 恨生 pinyin: Hènshēng) sword. He worked as a servant of the Nie sect and as a spy in the Wen sect before winning his father's approval to join the Jin sect after the Sunshot Campaign. Due to his identity as a prostitute's son, he feels inferior and is determined to prove himself. He is known for wearing a mask of pleasantry and his smooth demeanor. He greatly admires Lan Xichen, who is the only person who does not look down on him because of his low birth.
Cao Yuchen	Jin Zixuan (Chinese: 金子轩)	The son of Jin Guangshan, Jin Ling's father and Jiang Yanli's husband. He is proud and vain, but also upright and just. He scorns Jiang Yanli at first but grows to care for her and eventually falls in love with her. Wei Wuxian loses control over Wen Ning and then Wen Ning murders him.
Yao Shuhao	Jin Zixun (Chinese: 金子勋)	The cousin of Jin Zixuan. He is arrogant and conceited and holds immense dislike for Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian loses control over Wen Ning and then Wen Ning murders him.
Jin Luying	Qin Su (Chinese: 秦愫)	The wife of Jin Guangyao, who she happens to be related to; the daughter of Qin Cangye, leader of the Laoling Qin sect, a subsidiary of Jin sect. Later, Qin Su kills herself after knowing some secrets.
Qi Peixin	Jin Ling (Chinese: 金凌)	Courtesy name: Jin Rulan (Chinese: 金如兰). The sole heir of Jin sect, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian's nephew, and the orphaned son of Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli. He wields the Suihua (Chinese: 岁华尊) sword and is also an excellent archer. He has a dog named Fairy who often torments Wei Wuxian as comic relief. He is prideful, somewhat immature, and short-tempered, but can also be kind and loyal if necessary. He is close friends with Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen.
Wang Yifei	Luo Qingyang (Chinese: 罗青羊)	Also known as Mian Mian (Chinese: 绵绵). A disciple of Jin sect. She is unafraid to speak up for what's right and later left Jin sect due to differing beliefs on Wei Wuxian, being one of the only characters aside from Lan Wangji who is willing to speak up for him.
Liu Yinjun	Jin Chan (Chinese: 金阐)	A disciple of Lanling Jin sect. He bullied Jin Ling, but is stopped by Wei Wuxian.

Qinghe Nie Sect

Actor	Character	Introduction
Wang Yizhou Xuan Yuewen (young)	Nie Mingjue (Chinese: 聂明玦)	Also known as Chifeng-Zun or Red Blade Master(Chinese: 赤锋尊), or the Scarlet Peak Master, he is the leader of Nie sect. He is known as one of the Three Zuns alongside his sworn brothers Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao. He wields the Baxia (Chinese: 霸下) saber. He is strict, just, and known for his intolerance toward evil. However, he has a terrible temper and holds extreme grudges towards Jin Guangyao. Later he was turned into a manipulated puppet by Jin Guangyao and beheaded by Xue Yang.
Ji Li Xu Weiluo(young)	Nie Huaisang (Chinese: 聂怀桑)	The leader of Nie sect after Nie Mingjue's death and younger half-brother of Nie Mingjue. He is well known for his incompetence and is nicknamed the Head-Shaker. Often, he is seen carrying around a fan. However, there is more to him than most think.
Jiang Weijia	Chief General of Qinghe Nie Sect (Chinese: 聂氏总领)	He always bullies Jin Guangyao and is later killed by him.

Qishan Wen Sect

Actor	Character	Introduction
Xiu Qing	Wen Ruohan (Chinese: 温若寒)	The leader of Wen sect, Chief Cultivator, and father of Wen Chao and Wen Xu. He is an ambitious man who wants to rule over the five sects by restoring the Stygian Iron (Chinese: 阴铁).
Wang Rong	Wen Xu (Chinese: 温旭)	The eldest son of Wen RuoHan, a cruel and violent man. He is less intelligent, but also less cowardly, than his brother.
He Peng	Wen Chao (Chinese: 温晁)	The second son of Wen Ruohan. He is one of the main antagonists in the first half of the show and is cruel, arrogant, and rude. However, in the face of danger, he immediately adopts a pathetic, cowardly nature due to his fright. He enjoys punishing and hurting others, furthering his sadistic nature. In the middle of the show, Wen Chao was brutally mutilated and eventually murdered by Wei Wuxian out of revenge.
Meng Ziyi Lin Chenxi (young)	Wen Qing (Chinese: 温情)	A renowned physician of a side branch of the Wen sect and Wen Ning's older sister. She is aloof, cold, and extremely intelligent. She is protective toward her brother and initially dislikes Wei Wuxian, but eventually warms up to him as he becomes one of the only people to treat her kindly after the Wen sect is overthrown.
Yu Bin Su Qiuyi (young)	Wen Ning (Chinese: 温宁)	Courtesy name: Qionglin (Chinese: 琼林). Also known as The Ghost General (Chinese: 鬼将军), he is the right-hand man of Wei Wuxian during his time as the Yiling Patriarch. He was a shy person and a stutterer when he was alive due to his strange illness and grew to trust Wei Wuxian after being showered with kindness by him. As a fierce corpse, he is prone to outbursts of anger, but otherwise remains innocent, gentle, and shy.
Feng Mingjing	Wen Zhuliu (Chinese: 温逐流)	Also known as the Core-Melting Hand (Chinese: 化丹手) due to his ability to melt a Golden Core and is Wen Chao's protector. The Wen Sect's most powerful warrior, he holds to a strict and inscrutable code which included undying loyalty to his cruel masters. He was eventually murdered by Wei Wuxian.
Lu Enjie	Wang Lingjiao (Chinese: 王灵娇)	The former maid of Wen Chao's wife and Wen Chao's lover. She is an arrogant and pompous woman; however, upon facing any real threat, she immediately cowers, for unlike Wen Chao she is not only cowardly but also inept.
Zhang Bin	Wen Mao (Chinese: 温卯)	An ancestor of the Wen sect. He was the first to focus on expanding the clan instead of the sect.
Cai Yingchun	Granny Wen (Chinese: 温婆婆)	Wen Qing, Wen Ning and Wen Yuan's relative.
Yi Jianxiang	Fourth Uncle Wen (Chinese: 温四叔)	Wen Qing, Wen Ning and Wen Yuan's relative.

Yunmeng Jiang Sect

Actor	Character	Introduction
Lu Jianmin	Jiang Fengmian (Chinese: 江枫眠)	The leader of Jiang sect, husband of Yu Ziyuan, father of Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng. He is a kind and gentle man but holds favouritism towards Wei Wuxian.
Zhang Jingtong	Yu Ziyuan (Chinese: 虞紫鸢)	Also known as Madame Yu or San Niang. Jiang Fengmian's wife, mother of Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng, and original owner of the Zidian (Chinese: 紫电) bracelet. She appears tough and strict but cares for her children and husband deep down, though she dislikes Wei Wuxian.
Wang Zhuocheng Huang Zhenchen (young)	Jiang Cheng (Chinese: 江澄)	Courtesy name: Wanyin (Chinese: 晚吟). Also known as Sandu Shengshou (Chinese: 三毒圣手), or Three Poisons Sage, he is the leader of Jiang sect following Jiang Fengmian's and Yu Ziyuan's deaths. He wields the Sandu (Chinese: 三毒) sword and the Zidian (Chinese: 紫电) ring, inheriting the latter from his mother. He is a straight-laced and strict man who abides by the rules. He has a bad temper like his mother but deeply cares for his loved ones. He had a great relationship with Wei Wuxian, but their relationship deteriorated due to differing beliefs; however, they later made up at the end of the show. For some time, he had a crush on Wen Qing, until Wen Chao ordered the death of his parents, causing him to harbor hate for the Wen sect; however, he could not bring himself to hate her completely. He dotes on his nephew Jin Ling, though he is also strict and sharp-tongued toward him.
Xuan Lu Ye Xuantong (young)	Jiang Yanli (Chinese: 江厌离)	Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan's first child, Jiang Cheng's older sister, Wei Wuxian's disciple elder sister, Jin Zixuan's wife, and Jin Ling's mother. She is a kind and caring person, without any strong cultivation abilities. She also appears to be a very good cook, with her best dish being a lotus root and pork rib soup that she often makes for her brothers. She appears to have delicate feelings, as shown when she is snubbed multiple times by Jin Zixuan and easily persuaded when she chooses to be with him despite his family's strong opposition to Wei Wuxian whom she claims to deeply care for.
Lin Chenyue	Sixth disciple (Chinese: 六师弟)	A disciple of Yunmeng Jiang sect.
Zhang Jing	Jin Zhu (Chinese: 金姝)	A servant of Madam Yu in Yunmeng Jiang Sect.
Liu Xiaobin	Yin Zhu (Chinese: 银姝)	A servant of Madam Yu in Yunmeng Jiang Sect.

Yi City Arc

Actor	Character	Introduction
Song Jiyang	Xiao Xingchen (Chinese: 晓星尘)	Also known as Daozhang (Chinese: 道长), he is one of Baoshan Sanren's students who left the mountain for the mortal world. He wields the Shuanghua (Chinese: 霜华) sword and was best friends with Song Lan. He is gentle on the outside but determined on the inside.
Li Bowen	Song Lan (Chinese: 宋岚)	Courtesy name: Song Zichen (Chinese: 宋子琛). A cultivator from Baixue Temple, and best friend of Xiao Xingchen. He wields the Fuxue (Chinese: 拂雪) sword.
Wang Haoxuan	Xue Yang (Chinese: 薛洋)	Courtesy name: Chengmei (Chinese: 成美). A guest disciple of the Qishan Wen sect who has an affiliation with the Stygian Iron (Chinese: 阴铁). He wields the Jiangzai (Chinese: 降灾) sword. He is known for his evil and twisted ways.
Chen Zhuoxuan	Ah Qing (Chinese: 阿箐)	A young maiden who lived on the streets and an expert at pretending to be blind. She followed Xiao Xingchen after meeting him.

Mo Family

Actor	Character	Introduction
Sun Shengxuan	Mo Ziyuan (Chinese: 莫子渊)	Mo Xuanyu's cousin who abused him.
Jia Shuyi	Madam Mo (Chinese: 莫夫人)	Mo Xuanyu's aunt who abused him.
Liu Damin	Mister Mo (Chinese: 莫老爷)	Mo Xuanyu's uncle.
Feng Qiruo	Ah Ding (Chinese: 阿丁)	A servant of Mo.
Feng Qiruo	Ah Tong (Chinese: 阿童)	A servant of Mo.

Others

Actor	Character	Introduction
Feng Cong	Su She (Chinese: 苏涉)	Courtesy name: Minshan (Chinese: 悯善). The wimp leader of the Moling Su sect. A former outer disciple of the Gusu Lan Sect, whom he betrayed and left to establish his own with the support of Jin Guangyao, whom he holds great respect for. He is jealous of Lan Wangji's talents and has always imitated his actions.
Liu Tingyu	Baoshan Sanren (Chinese: 抱山散人)	The teacher of Xiao Xingchen and Cangse Sanren (Wei Wuxian's mother). She is Wei Wuxian's grandmaster. She was also Lan Yi's best friend.
Cao Junxiang	Ouyang Zizhen (Chinese: 欧阳子真)	The single child of the Baling Ouyang sect's leader. He is close friends with Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling
Yu Zikuang	Xue Chonghai (Chinese: 薛重亥)	The ancient owner of the Stygian Iron (Chinese: 阴铁). He is Xue Yang's ancestor.
Niu Zhiqiang	Sect Leader Yao (Chinese: 姚宗主)	One of the gossiping elders who dislikes Wei Wuxian and spread baseless rumors about him.
Pu Changcheng	Sect Leader Ouyang (Chinese: 欧阳宗主)	Baling Ouyang sect leader and Ouyang Zizhen's father.
Zhang Ye	Yi Weichun (Chinese: 易为春)	A cultivator who participates in the Second Siege of the Burial Mounds.
Xu Xiaowen	Fang Mengchen (Chinese: 方梦臣)	A cultivator who participates in the Second Siege of the Burial Mounds.
Zhang Linran	Ah Yan (Chinese: 阿胭)	Daughter of Blacksmith Zheng who is cursed by the Heavenly Lady statue.
Li Lujin	Ah Yan's mother (Chinese: 阿胭娘)	Ah Yan's mother and Blacksmith Zheng's wife.
Fan Huawei	Bi Cao (Chinese: 碧草)	A servant of Qin Su.
Su Yue	Si Si (Chinese: 思思)	A prostitute who had to serve Jin Guangshan before his death.
Jiao Changshun	Song Lan's teacher (Chinese: 宋岚师傅)	Song Lan's teacher.
Shen Xin	Funeral Shopkeeper (Chinese: 丧葬老太)	Funeral shopkeeper at Yi City.
Huang Ying	Granny Liu (Chinese: 刘婆婆)
Liu Fengmin	Lao Zhang (Wen Chao) (Chinese: 老丈（温晁）)
Sun Liang	Lao Zhang (Nie Huaisang) (Chinese: 老丈（聂怀桑）)

Production

Pre-production and filming

Hengdian World Studios, the main filming site of the series

Pre-production of the drama took two and a half years; including writing and modifying of the script, establishing the world view structure and art concept, as well as building of sets. The project was first announced in March 2018.

The series is co-directed by Zheng Weiwen and Chen Jialin; and the script written by a team consisting of Yang Xia, Deng Yaoyu, Ma Jing and Guo Guangyun. The main producers are credited to be Fang Feng, Yang Xia, Wang Chu and Liu Mingyi; while Yang Xia and Ji Peng serve as the art directors. The drama was filmed from April 2018 to August 2018 at Hengdian World Studios and Guizhou. Two weeks before filming, the cast gathered for script reading sessions and underwent martial arts and etiquette training.

Due to the censorship in China, explicit BL content is removed from the drama and changes are made to the overall plot. As the original novel was written in a "flashback" style, additional scenes had to be inserted to improve the flow of the story. Two versions of the script were prepared; one is told in the chronological order of story development, and the other is a narrative trajectory that follows the original novel. Finally, on the basis of not breaking the core of the original story, and to fully develop and layer the storyline, the team decided to adopt a mixture of both styles. To better fuse the different storylines together, the team decided to forgo traditional styles of filming, and more suspense was used in the lens composition settings.

Despite being termed as "xianxia" drama, The Untamed includes many elements of traditional wuxia dramas, fused with a new style. Using traditional wuxia values such as "chivalry and courage", it allows the younger audience to better relate to the drama.

Casting

The casting director gave a special "character card" to each of the cast members; which includes detailed descriptions of the character such as the looks, height, clothing style and even specific details such as "Wei Wuxian has a natural smiling face".

Xiao Zhan was announced as the lead actor in April 2018.

Lu Zhixing, who dubbed Wei Wuxian in the audio drama, and Bian Jiang, who dubbed Lan Wangji in the donghua adaptation of Mo Dao Zu Shi, were hired to voice Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji in the series.

Design and concept

According to producer Yang Xia, while designing the sets and costumes of the different sects, the team started out by searching for a culture placement where the design could be based on. The costume designer of the drama is Chen Tongxun.

For the Gusu Lan sect, influence from the Song dynasty were taken into consideration while designing the costumes and sets. While designing the "Jingshi", blue and green shades were used to showcase the elegance and dignified strength/character of the sect; while darker shades of wood were used to show off the magnificence. Cascading collars and sleeves were used to design the clothes, to highlight the strictness of the sect.

For the Yunmeng Jiang sect, influences from the Hubei and Jianghan district were taken. Warm and light colors were used to showcase the cheerful and free-spirited nature of the sect. The architecture and sets were designed to be widely spaced, and yarn was used to create the feeling of "transparency". Narrow sleeves and neat designs were used to highlight the "wandering pugilistic" feel of the sect. A water recycling device was used in the lotus lake of the set, allowing ripples to be seen on the lake surface. A special ceiling was built for the ancestral hall.

For the Qinghe Nie sect, the set was designed to be surrounded by high walls and the entrance isn't easily seen because it was often invaded by Qishan Wen sect. For Qishan Wen sect, designs from the Shang dynasty were used. For Lanling Jin sect, the designs were inspired by the luxurious and elegance of the Tang dynasty.

Controversies

A fire broke out on July 11, 2018, while the cast and crew were filming in Nanma, Dongyang, at a facility that belongs to Hengdian World Studios. The fire reportedly spread as wide as 300 square meters, and resulted in the death of two crew members.

During filming, a rumor surfaced that the producers of the drama had replaced Lan WangJi as Wei Wuxian's love interest with a female character, Wen Qing, and also made Mianmian, who shares a fun, flirty relationship with Wei Wuxian and a respectful, protective relationship with Lan Wangji, into a member of Jin clan. This rumor caused significant backlash amongst fans of the original novel. The production team strongly denied such claims.

In July 2019, Tencent announced that VIP users would have the option of paying to watch episodes that had not yet aired. From August 7, the final episode would be released early for some viewers who chose to avail of the option. This caused outrage among viewers of the show, who were concerned that it would risk the ending being spoiled and also the possibility that the episodes would be pirated, which would have a negative effect on views. In response, Tencent explained that in this way they could cater to demands of certain viewers who were asking for episodes to be released faster, while others could still watch the series at their preferred pace.

Soundtrack

The main composer of the soundtrack is Lin Hai. The theme song was titled "忘羡" (pinyin: Wàngxiàn) before being renamed from Episode 11 onwards to "无羁 (pinyin: Wú jī)". On July 8, 2019, the digital album was released on QQ Music along with full version of the song as well as other character songs. The instrumental album was released on QQ Music on August 5, 2019.

The physical album was released on November 2, 2019.

The Untamed OST (陈情令国风音乐专辑)
Soundtrack album by Various artists
Released	July 8, 2019 (2019-07-08)
Recorded	2018–2019
Genre	Soundtrack
Language	Chinese
Label	New Style Media QQ Music
Producer	Lin Hai

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Singers	Length
1.	"Unrestrained (无羁)" (Theme song – duet version)	Cheng Yi, Ming Feng	Lin Hai	Xiao Zhan & Wang Yibo	04:13
2.	"Unrestrained (无羁)" (Theme song – special version)	Cheng Yi, Ming Feng	Lin Hai	Bibi Zhou	04:14
3.	"Unrestrained (无羁)" (Theme song – solo version)	Cheng Yi, Ming Feng	Lin Hai	Xiao Zhan	04:13
4.	"Unrestrained (无羁)" (Theme song – solo version)	Cheng Yi, Ming Feng	Lin Hai	Wang Yibo	04:13
5.	"Song Ends with Chen Qing (曲尽陈情)" (Wei Wuxian’s theme song)	Yi Zhe Lian Xiao Zui Qing He	Within_Yi Ming	Xiao Zhan	03:53
6.	"Won't Forget (不忘)" (Lan Wangji’s theme song)	Song Bingyang, Yang Xia	Song Bingyang	Wang Yibo	05:16
7.	"Newborn (赤子)" (Wen Ning's theme song)	Zhang Pengpeng	Zheng Guofeng	Yu Bin	04:18
8.	"Goodbye Filled With Hatred (恨别)" (Jiang Cheng's theme song)	Yi Zhe Lian Xiao Zui Qing He	Chao Xi_Tide	Wang Zhuocheng	03:43
9.	"Involuntary (不由)" (Lan Xichen’s theme song)	Ming Feng	Windbell Project	Liu Haikuan	04:44
10.	"Separation at Qinghe (清河诀)" (Nie Mingjue & Nie Huaisang’s theme song)	Lin Qiao, Liu Enxun	Chen Xueran	Ayanga	03:44
11.	"If The Woodlands Has Something To Say (疏林如有诉)" (Wen Qing's theme song)	Zhong Wuyi	Chen Yiming	Gao Qiuzi	03:53
12.	"Passing by the Deserted City (荒城渡)" (Xue Yang's theme song)	Zhang Ying	Xia Heng, Deng Qiangzhong	Charlie Zhou	04:19
13.	"Lone City (孤城)" (Yi City group's theme song)	Lin Qiao	Yu Honglong	Sun Bolun & Chen Zhuoxuan	03:52
14.	"Youth Especially Cannot Be Bullied (最是少年不可欺)" (Youth group's theme song)	Yu Ci	Chen Yiming	Zui Xue, Zheng Fanxing, Qi Peixin & Guo Cheng	03:59
15.	"Inappeasable (意难平)" (Jiang Yanli’s theme song)	Cheng Yi, He Siwei	Lin Hai	Yin Lin	04:14
16.	"Not In Vain (不枉)" (Group song)	Yi Zhe Lian Xiao Zui Qing He	Yin Lin	Naomi Wang	03:55
17.	"Eternal Separation (永隔)" (Jiang Yanli & Jin Zixuan’s theme song)	Lin Qiao	Yu Honglong	Lara Veronin & Fabien Yang	03:37
18.	"Hatred in Life (多恨生)" (Jin Guangyao’s theme song)	Within_Yi Ming	Luo Xizhun	Zhu Xingjie	04:25

The Untamed OST (陈情令原声音乐专辑)
Soundtrack album by Various artists
Released	August 5, 2019 (2019-08-05)
Recorded	2018–2019
Genre	Soundtrack
Language	Chinese
Label	New Style Media QQ Music
Producer	Lin Hai

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Untamed (陈情令)"	02:01
2.	"Unrestrained (无羁)" (Instrumental version)	02:33
3.	"Wangji (忘机)"	01:01
4.	"Love Entanglement (情牵)"	01:59
5.	"Lotus Pier (莲花坞)"	02:08
6.	"Maneuvering Dizi (御笛)"	02:15
7.	"Glacier (裂冰)"	03:26
8.	"Drunken Dream (醉梦)"	03:27
9.	"Burial Mound (乱葬岗)"	02:24
10.	"Sadness (伤情)"	03:01
11.	"If Life Was Just Like When We First Met (人生若只如初见)"	02:36
12.	"Won't Regret (不悔)"	02:47
13.	"Night Scamper (夜奔)"	03:51
14.	"Day and Night (寤寐)"	01:26
15.	"Song of Lucidity (清心音·乱魄抄)"	05:10
16.	"Rest (安息)"	02:32
17.	"Greenery (草木)"	02:33
18.	"Yi City (义城)"	01:03
19.	"Artful Child (狡童)"	01:44
20.	"Sunshot (射日)"	02:28
21.	"Unrestrained (无羁)" (Piano version)	01:23

On August 19, QQ Music announced that the sales for the soundtrack album had broken 15.000.000 yuan, officially attaining the platinum certification. As of September 2019, the album was the highest-selling soundtrack album on the platform, and ranked #15 on the list of highest-selling digital album.

Reception

The series has accumulated a total of 10 billion views on Tencent Video, as of December 2021. One of the major reasons for the series' popularity is its faithfulness to the original novel. It was praised by People's Daily for its "wonderful presentation of Chinese characteristics"; showcasing traditional cultural elements through exquisite costumes, traditional Chinese music instruments; as well as transmitting positive values such as courage, chivalry and love for one's country. China News Service similarly highlighted the exquisite costumes and showcase of traditional etiquette, while also praising the suspenseful plot and well-connected storyline. Wang Yibo was initially criticized by viewers for his blank acting style in the first few episodes, which he later improved upon with the help of director's instructions. Moreover, the great number of female audiences of the series formed their collective identity as The Untamed Girls to participate promoting this web drama on various Chinese social media platforms.

The show has also garnered significant exposure and popularity globally for its strong plot, well-rounded characters, and elaborate clothing, makeup and stage production.

Economic effect

The Untamed was one of the highest-earning dramas of 2019, bringing in earnings from fan meetings, concerts, album sales and merchandises.

As Tencent VIP members are allowed watch the final episodes of the show in advance, more than 2.6 million new subscribers paid to unlock the function, generating more than 78 million yuan in profit. More than 1.6 million copies of the soundtrack album were sold on Tencent Music. In addition, a merchandise store was opened in Taobao and official merchandise was sold, with earnings amounting to 1.17 million yuan. Other source of earnings include paying to unlock the full music video of "Unrestrained" in advance, as well as the Bazaar Magazine featuring both lead actors Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo which sold more than 330,000 copies within three days, before exceeding 1.1 million copies.

For the fan meetings, a special system was introduced by Tencent, where VIP members have to accumulate "star points" to get a better chance to get tickets to the fan meetings and concerts. More than 3.27 million viewers paid between 30 and 50 yuan to view the live broadcast of The Untamed National Style Concert on Tencent Video. It is estimated that the platform has earned more than 100 million yuan in revenue from that concert alone. Tickets of the concert were sold-out in less than 5 seconds, and leftover tickets were also marked up to 150,000 yuan by ticket scalpers from the original price of 627 yuan.

In overseas markets, Tencent announced in October 2019 that The Untamed had boosted WeTV's growth by 250 percent with an average of 1 million application downloads per month since the drama was first launched in June.

Responding to the demand of sold-out fan meetings in Thailand and China, in January 2020, the cast members planned to embark on a multi-city worldwide fan meetings tour. Cities included Bangkok, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo, Seoul, Macau, Kuala Lumpur, Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, but was cancelled after the Bangkok concert due to the recent pandemic.

Awards and nominations

Award	Category	Nominee	Results	Ref.
The Third Internet Film Festival	Best Director	Chen Jialin	Won
	Best New Actor	Zhu Zanjin
GQ 2019 Men of the Year	Breakthrough Actor of the Year	Wang Yibo	Won
6th The Actors of China Award Ceremony	Best Actor (Web series)	Xiao Zhan	Nominated
Golden Tower Award	Most Popular Drama	The Untamed	Won
	Most Popular Actor	Xiao Zhan	Won
		Wang Yibo	Nominated
Sofa Film Festival	Most Popular Actor of the Autumn	Xiao Zhan	Won
6th Hengdian Film and TV Festival of China (Wenrong Awards)	Best Web Drama	The Untamed	Nominated
	Best Director	Chen Jialin	Won
	Best Producer	Fang Fang	Won
3rd Yinchuan Internet Film Festival	Best Web Series	The Untamed	Nominated
	Best Actor (Web series)	Xiao Zhan	Won
26th Huading Awards	Best Television Series	The Untamed	10th
	Best Director	Chen Jialin, Zheng Weiwen	Nominated
	Best Producer	Yang Xia, Fang Fang, Wang Chu, Liu Mingtie	Nominated
	Best Newcomer	Xiao Zhan	Won
		Wang Yibo	Nominated
	Top Ten Favorite Actors		Won
2nd Cultural and Entertainment Industry Congress	Best Actor (Drama)	Xiao Zhan	Nominated
	Breakthrough Actor (Drama)		Nominated
		Wang Yibo	Nominated
	Best Couple	Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji (Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo)	Nominated
China Entertainment Industry Summit (Golden Pufferfish Awards)	Best Drama	The Untamed	Won
	Best Marketing		Won
	Producer of the Year	Yang Xia	Won
7th Thailand Headlines Person of The Year Awards	Most Influential Award	The Untamed Cast	Won
Tencent Music Entertainment Awards	Song of the Year	"Unrestrained" (by Xiao Zhan & Wang Yibo)	Won
China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival (1st Network Drama Awards)	Most Popular Actor	Wang Yibo	Won
	Most Anticipated Actor	He Peng	Won
20th China Video Awards	IP of the Year	The Untamed	Won
China Radio Film & TV Media Survey	Outstanding Overseas Promotion Television Series		Won
Weibo TV Series Awards	Most Popular Television Series		Won
	Most Popular Actor	Xiao Zhan	7th
		Wang Yibo	4th
		Song Jiyang	Nominated
		Wang Zhuocheng	Nominated
		Yu Bin	Nominated
		Zheng Fanxing	Nominated
		Liu Haikuan	Nominated
	Most Popular Character	Wei Wuxian (Xiao Zhan)	Won
		Lan Wangji (Wang Yibo)	2nd
Golden Bud - The Fourth Network Film And Television Festival	Best Web Series	The Untamed	Nominated
	Most Influential Web Series		Won
	Best Web Film	The Living Dead	Nominated
	Most Popular Director	Chen Jialin	Won
	Best Actor	Xiao Zhan	Nominated
		Wang Yibo	Nominated
	Best Newcomer	Guo Cheng	Nominated
		Song Jiyang	Nominated
		Wang Zhuocheng	Nominated
		Zheng Fanxing	Nominated
		Wang Haoxuan	Nominated
	New Force Energy		Won
Sogou In Award	Drama of the Year	The Untamed	Won
Kugou Music Awards	Song of the Year	"Unrestrained" (by Xiao Zhan & Wang Yibo)	Won
Film and TV Role Model 2019 Ranking	Drama of the Year	The Untamed	Nominated
	Actor of the Year	Xiao Zhan	Nominated
Baidu Fudian Awards	Top Ten Television Series	The Untamed	Won
Sina Film & TV Awards			Won
8th China Student Television Festival	Most Watched Television Series		Won
Tencent Video All Star Awards	Web Drama of the Year		Won
	Popular Actors of the Year	Xiao Zhan	Won
		Wang Yibo	Won
	Most Promising Actor	Liu Haikuan	Won
	Doki New Force	Wang Zhuocheng	Won
Tencent Entertainment White Paper	Television Actor of the Year	Xiao Zhan	Won
	Star Celebrity Board: Television Actor of the Year		Won
Weibo Awards Ceremony	Hot Drama of the Year	The Untamed	Won
Media and Entertainment Industry Reporter	Innovative Marketing of the Year		Won
Hengdian World Studio Classic Ranking	Most Popular Drama		Won
	Most Popular Character	Wei Wuxian (Xiao Zhan)	Won
WeTV 2020 Awards	Best Wuxia / Xianxia Drama	The Untamed	Won
WeTV 2022 Awards	Artist of the Year	Xiao Zhan	Nominated
Tencent Group	Business Breakthrough Award	The Untamed	Won

Promotion

Date	Event	Attendees	Ref.
July 12, 2019	The Untamed Fanmeeting	Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo, Yu Bin, Liu Haikuan, Zhu Zanjin, Wang Haoxuan, Wang Yizhou, Song Jiyang, Li Bowen, Qi Peixin, Zheng Fanxing, Guo Cheng
July 20, 2019	The Untamed Roadshow at Hangzhou	Yu Bin, Zheng Fanxing, Song Jiyang
July 26, 2019	Harper's Bazaar China	Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo
	The Untamed Roadshow at Xi'an	Cao Yuchen, Qi Peixin, Zheng Fanxing
July 27, 2019	The Untamed Roadshow at Wuhan	Yu Bin, Song Jiyang, Wang Haoxuan
July 28, 2019	Day Day Up	Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo
August 4, 2019	The Untamed Roadshow at Shanghai	Yu Bin, Wang Zhuocheng, Liu Haikuan, Zhu Zanjin, Ji Li, Chen Zhuoxuan, Song Jiyang
August 10, 2019	Happy Camp	Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo, Yu Bin, Wang Zhuocheng
	The Untamed Roadshow at Qingdao	Liu Haikuan, Zhu Zanjin, Wang Haoxuan, Ji Li, Wang Yizhou, Song Jiyang, Li Bowen, Cao Yuchen, Qi Peixin, Zheng Fanxing, Guo Cheng, He Peng, Chen Zhuoxuan
August 26, 2019	Crazy Magic	Yu Bin, Liu Haikuan, Wang Zhuocheng, Xuan Lu, Meng Ziyi
September 21, 2019	The Untamed Thailand Fanmeeting	Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo, Yu Bin, Wang Zhuocheng, Liu Haikuan, Cao Yuchen, Song Jiyang, Chen Zhuoxuan
November 1–2, 2019	The Untamed National Style Concert	Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo, Yu Bin, Wang Zhuocheng, Liu Haikuan, Zhu Zanjin, Wang Haoxuan, Ji Li, Wang Yizhou, Song Jiyang, Li Bowen, Cao Yuchen, Qi Peixin, Zheng Fanxing, Guo Cheng, He Peng, Lu Enjie, Wang Yifei, Chen Zhuoxuan, Zhang Jingtong, Xiu Qing, Gao Qiuzi Lara Veronin, Naomi Wang, Fabien Yang, Yin Lin, Zhou Shen, Zhu Xingjie

Thailand Fanmeeting

The fanmeeting was held in Bangkok at Impact Arena on September 21, 2019, and was attended by 9,000 fans. The proceeds of the Thailand fanmeeting were donated to the people of Ubon Ratchathani Province, which had been hit by floods.

The Untamed National Style Concert

The concert was held from November 1 and 2, 2019 at Nanjing Qing'ao Sports Park with a capacity of 20,000 seats. Tan Yizhe served as the music executive of the concert, while Yuan Jing served as the creative director. Ticket prices were sold at 627 yuan and 1980 yuan, to commemorate the first day of broadcast and the last day of filming of The Untamed respectively. 16 songs were sung in the concert, along with a segment for interactions and games. Prior to purchasing tickets on Maoyan, fans had to answer a questionnaire based on the show. Viewers were able to live-stream the concert via Tencent Video, with a fee of 30 to 50 yuan.

Mobile game

A mobile gamed based on The Untamed is set to be released via NetEase.

The Untamed Boys

The six-membered group named "The Untamed Boys" (Chinese: 陈情少年), also known as T.U.B.S., which consists of Yu Bin, Ji Li, Cao Yuchen, Zheng Fanxing, Song Jiyang & Li Bowen, first made their appearance in The Untamed National Style Concert performing the song "Fearless". They subsequently appeared in T Mall 11/11 Shopping Festival, performing the song "Fairytale"; as well as featured in Elle Men's New Youth magazine. They appeared in the variety show Youths Learning In Progress (Chinese: 少年听学中), which aired on Tencent Video starting December 5, 2019. On January 7, 2021, Zheng Fanxing and Song Jiyang announced their departure from the group due to busy schedules and pursuing their solo careers in acting.

International broadcast

Network	Country	Notes/Ref.
MediaCorp Channel 8	Singapore
AsiaN	South Korea
Wowow TV	Japan
Rakuten TV
U-Next
Asia Dramatic TV
MX Player	India
YouTube	International
Amazon Prime
Viki
Netflix
WeTV
ODC
Kapamilya Channel A2Z TV5	Philippines

Spin-off films

Two straight to streaming spin-off films, neither featuring the main cast members, have been released, which serve as side stories to the television series.

The Living Dead (2019)

The Living Dead (Chinese: 生魂; pinyin: Shenghun) was released on November 7, 2019. The movie focuses on the characters of Wen Ning and Lan Sizhui.

Synopsis

Near Qishan Mountain, there is a little town called Fu Feng, which is nicknamed the "City That Never Turns Dark". This city is home to the legend of the "Lit Lamp Murderer". Wen Ning arrives at Fu Feng and realizes the abnormality of the town. The whole town is filled with only the weak and sick; and is very run down. When the night arrives, Wen Ning lights up a lamp to attract ghost shadows. Just as he is about to capture them, a ray of blue sword light appears and the black shadow disappears. Wen Ning looks up and sees his nephew, Lan Sizhui. Wen Ning and Lan Sizhui decide to work together and solve the mystery to capture the culprit behind the mysterious incidents.

Cast

• Yu Bin as Wen Ning
• Zheng Fan Xing as Lan Sizhui
• Wang Yifei as Xiao Qing
• Gao Han as Xiao Yi
• He Longlong as Zhou Zishu

Fatal Journey (2019)

Fatal Journey (Chinese: 乱魄; pinyin: Luanpo) focuses on the story of the Qinghe Nie brothers and Jin Guangyao.

Synopsis

The Qinghe Nie sect finds itself dealing with problems of its ancestral tomb of swords. Nie Mingjue takes his brother, Nie Huaisang, to restore the tomb to its original state and ensure peace in the Nie sect.

Through this, Huaisang goes from being a playful disciple and after preparing, he becomes the sect leader of the next generation and Mingjue learns, understands his brother more and helps him grow.

Cast

• Ji Li as Nie Huaisang
• Wang Yizhou as Nie Mingjue
• Zhu Zanjin as Jin Guangyao
• He Xiang (何翔) as Nie Zonghui
• Rao Guo Feng (饶国锋) as Qinghe Nie Sect Disciple
• Xuan Yue Wen (宣粤文) as Nie Mingjue [Young]
• Xu Wai Luo (徐崴罗) as Nie Huaisang [Young]
• Zhou Lu (周路) as Cuo Zei

External links

• The Untamed at IMDb
• The Untamed at Tencent Video's official YouTube channel
• Wang, Yue; Alberto, Maria, eds. (2024). Catching Chen Qing Ling. New York, United States of America: Peter Lang Verlag. doi:10.3726/b21449.