The Boy and his Single Plank Bridge (A Two Year Marinated Review)

I happened to come across this drama when it was airing its early episodes. After I finished it, I was itching to write a review but my feelings were too strong at the time. I knew that if I wrote a review in that timeframe, I would be strongly biased. So, you can say that this is a highly marinated review. I rewatched key scenes and here I am, two years later, to write a review for my absolute favourite drama.

I have consumed many media from many regions, from novels, mangas, webtoons, audiobooks, movies, video games -- you name it. Despite my frequent exposure to various storylines, The Untamed still holds a special spot in my heart. Why?

The storyline is quite slow in the first dozen episodes and the influx of characters can leave the viewers confused -- but when it clicks, it CLICKS. I have recommended this drama to many and this has been the trend every time without fail. This is a flaw due to the high requirement of interest but the originally confusing first 10 episodes transform into something precious when you rewatch it.

(Spoilers territory)

This drama excels in creating connections with the characters -- for both main characters and minor characters. Even now I still think the protagonist, Wei Wu Xian, was created for the actor Xiao Zhan. He completely embodied his character and dare I say, even gave the character a little more depth. Wei Wu Xian is a cunning, assertive, playful yet selfless protagonist. He needs to appear both childish/easily approachable and powerful at all times and I can easily say that Xiao Zhan performed all his scenes incredibly.

This drama's main feature is grey morality -- what is right and what is wrong? It depicts the human tendency to witchhunt - to find a scapegoat for conflicts and thus, also features its impact on the said scapegoat.

"I see. If you want to kill me, you can do whatever you want. But if I want to protect myself, I must be careful about not hurting this one, not hurting that one. If I die, it's because of my bad luck. You can ambush me, but I can't fight back. Have I said it wrong?"

Of course, it features many other themes and is honestly a breath of fresh air in the drama world. In fact, I haven't even mentioned my favourite character Lan Wang Ji but I will refrain from doing so because I want to write a review, not a book. This is an impulse late-night (1 AM to be exact) review and I can never translate my feelings into words but I think my praise for this drama is highly overdue.

From its OST, setting, characters, plot, acting and novelty, The Untamed either hits you like a truck or completely misses you. I have indeed gathered many other media that I love after The Untamed introduced me to the world of novels. Though the upcoming statement is quite extreme, I have to say it: two years ago, The Untamed made me realize that I could find happiness in a story-based medium and this drama completely intercepted my unhealthy dependence on celebrities. No matter how many times I see this drama mentioned, I feel happy every time I am reminded of it. Thus, even if I have read more favourable stories or met more favourable characters, I think it would be a plain betrayal to give this drama anything less than a 10.

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