Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation
DramaMo Dao Zu Shi — The Untamed drama
At a glance50 episodes
The Untamed (陈情令), which premiered on 27 June 2019 on Tencent Video, is the live-action adaptation of Mo Dao Zu Shi. Its 50 episodes made stars of Xiao Zhan (Wei Wuxian) and Wang Yibo (Lan Wangji), and the series became one of the biggest Chinese TV phenomena of the decade, all the way to Netflix.
Production and behind the scenes
The series was directed by Zheng Weiwen and Chen Jialin and produced by Tencent Penguin Pictures and NewStyle Media. Filming ran from April to August 2018, at Hengdian World Studios and on location in Guizhou. The script mixes chronological storytelling with long flashbacks and took around two and a half years of preparation.
The Chinese title, Chen Qing Ling, takes its name from Wei Wuxian's flute, Chenqing, with which he commands the dead. In 2019 two spin-off films extended the universe: The Living Dead, centred on Wen Ning and Lan Sizhui, and Fatal Journey, about the Nie brothers and Jin Guangyao.
How it differs from the donghua
Chinese censorship forbids showing romance between men. The Untamed therefore turns the novel's couple into an intense friendship between "soulmates", while keeping enough glances and unspoken moments for fans to understand. The script also adds a storyline around the "Yin Iron" (阴铁), absent from the novel, which ties the investigations together. Compared to the donghua, the series has room to develop side characters across its 50 episodes.
Reception and success
The success was colossal: around 9.5 billion views on Tencent Video by 2021, a platinum-certified soundtrack album and record profits for a drama, thanks to subscriptions, merchandise and concerts. Internationally the series streamed on Netflix, WeTV and Viki, introducing danmei to a huge audience.
Trivia
- The theme song Wu Ji (无羁), composed by Lin Hai, is sung as a duet by Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo.
- In September 2019 a fan meeting in Bangkok drew around 9,000 people. The rest of the world tour was cancelled because of Covid-19.
- A concert in November 2019 brought the platform around 100 million yuan.
- Xiao Zhan went on to play Tang San in Douluo Continent, the drama adaptation of Soul Land.
My take
The Untamed is one of the rare adaptations that fully stands beside its source. The two leads have obvious chemistry, the music is gorgeous and the Gusu sets make you want to live there. The wigs and some effects have aged a little, and censorship forces you to read between the lines. But I recommend it without hesitation, even to people who do not know the novel.
Who is it for?Newcomers to the franchise, fans of historical dramas and anyone who wants to understand why Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji became icons.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan