Drama Recap: The Untamed Episode 1

The story drew back to sixteen years ago at burial mounds, Wei Wu Xian destroyed the Yin Hu Fu Citie (a evil Magnetic pendant) and the power hungry fairy families tried to snatch the magnetic pendant in order to be more powerful. A sense of despaired and hopelessness overwhelmed Wei Yin and he jumped off the burial mounds. Lan Zhan reached out his hand to Wei Ying, but his brother Jiang Cheng drew a sword at Wei Ying. In order to protect Lan Zhan, Wei Ying let loose of his blood stained hand and fell off the cliff. 

The screen drew to the present day which was sixteen years later. Wei Ying was summoned back to earth by Mo Xuan Yu through a sacrificial ritual. It seems like there is a great plan or motive behind this as we can see the storyteller telling the story of Yi Lin Lao Zu ( the grand master of the  demonic cultivation) and somebody seem to be listening to the story and tipped the storyeller before he left the inn. On the other hand, Wei Wu Xian woke up as Mo Xuan Yu as through he had a dream and slept for sixteen years. The spirit of Mo Xuan Yu cursed Wei Wu Xian with scratches on his body and the only way he could redeemed himself is to kill those people that had harmed him. In fact, he wanted revenge through Wei Wu Xian. Thereafter, Mo Xuan Yu disappeared in front of Wei Wu Xian.

Mo Xuan Yu was part of the Fairy family but was ill treated. He was bullied by his relatives and was often teased as a duan xiu (homosexual) by people. The servants in the household even had the guts to starved Mo Xuan Yu and physically abused him. In return, Wei Wu Xian taught those rascals a lesson using his magical skills. 

                                        

The disciples of Gu Su Lan Sect (Cloud recesses) came to the Mo house after a decapitated hand was found in front of the house. They were the well respected fairy family that helps to get rid of evil spirit.  Wei Wu Xian immediately recognized the school shirt of the Gu Su Lan Sect and wondered if Lan Wang Ji did came with them. To his relief, the disciples seem to be sent here and Lan Wang Ji was not with them. However, a series of weird things happened and the Mo household was ultimately killed by the evil spirit. 

                                            

The decapitated hand seem to harbor a lot of grievance and they cannot disperse its anger. It got to the point of uncontrollable situation and Lan Yuan (the leading disciple) and Lan Jing Yi decided to seek help from Lan Wang Ji. Although Wei Wu Xian tried to convince them that he could handle it, but the disciples still blew the signal in the air to inform Lan Wang Ji.

                                            

It is important to note that Wei Wu Xian took over Mo Xuan Yu and everybody thought that he was crazy. It was known that Mo Xuan Yu was an outcast in the family. He was thought to be crazy as he likes to surround himself with Wei Wu Xian inventions.  His cousin even stole his things and accused him of being crazy. The well mannered Gu Su Lan Shi took pity on him and helped Mo Xuan Yu to the delight of Wei Wu Xian. They even used the Fa Qi  (Dharma) that Wei Wu Xian invented after his 'death' to rid of evil. Wei Wu Xian was surprised that to this date his invention was still widely used although he was thought to be evil.

                                                  

Wei Wu Xian secretly helped the Gu Su disciples as he is the grand master of the demonic cultivation. However, he had to hide his identity to the people and pretended to be 'crazy'. When the evil force was not easy to be reckoned with, everyone panicked.    

                                                    

Lan Wang Ji got the signal from his sect disciples and took his Bi Chen sword with him. He flew down graciously to the rooftop with his wangji qing (his string instrument). Wei Wu Xian knew that Lan Wang Ji is dependable and left the Mo household. Wei Wu Xian sneaked a glance at Lan WangJi and lamented that he after so many years, the clothes they wear still look like Pi Ma Dai Xiao ( mourning clothes). He commended his dressing with a sparkle in his eyes and a mischievous smile. Wei Wu Xian then looked at the cursed marks on his arm and one of it had disappeared. He knew that one of his mission had accomplished and he left the house by 'stealing' a donkey from their neighbor. 

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DramaQueen Pick: The Untamed

Synopsis:

Wei Wu Xian (Xiao Zhan) and Lan Wang Ji (Wang Yi Bo) are two completely different people from two different worlds. Lan Wang Ji was born in the prominent Sect of the Gusu Lan. Due to his great achievements and reputation, he gained the title Hanguang-Jun, which means the light holder. He was seen as a hero, the role model of everyone in the cultivation world and is known to appear wherever chaos is. While Wei Wu Xian, the Yiling Patriarch, was a name that was feared by everyone. He has done many heroic things in his life, but also really cruel ones, such as killing thousands of people and even causing the death of those who saw him as family.

In the end, Wei Wu Xian was "killed", after he became too evil for the world to exist, by his best friend and only survivor of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, Jiang Cheng, who was once like a brother to him. At least that is what the legend says. Sixteen years after his so-called “death”, Wei Wu Xian suddenly reappeared again at the Mo Village. Between the boundary of good and evil, was Wei Wu Xian really as evil as the legend says and was Lan Wang Ji really that righteous as people claim him to be? And how much of the legend is actually true?


My thoughts:
I was introduced to this Chinese period drama by a friend. The Untamed is a remake of a famous novel in China titled “Mo Dao Zhu Shi” or literally known as “Grandmaster Of Demonic Cultivation”. My friend told me that this drama series became the  hottest topic in town after it broadcasted in Mainland China. Out of curiosity, I checked up the drama and was immediately attracted to the two main characters Lan Wang Ji and Wei Wu Xian. The two main actors are currently the hottest idols in China. Their fine appearance naturally matched the story perfectly.  Both Xiao Zhan and Wang Yi Bo have their own charm and I look forward to their performance in this drama. I know there is some sensitive topic such as some sort of hint of “homosexuality” between the main characters. However, I am really curious of how they will remake this novel/ manga into a drama. I heard that the China broadcasting have some rules and regulations about what they can screen on television. Given the conservative nature of China, I wonder how the production team will challenge the taboo topic and at the same time satisfy the fans of this novel. 

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Drama Recap

Gus hired uncle Kin to work in his real estate company, but he was dismayed when he discovered uncle Kin reading a feng shui book while pretended to study. Gus reproached Uncle Kin for pretending to study the book about real estate and criticized his casual dressing in the company.

This was the last day of work for Uncle Kin as a demo singer. He was saddened by the thought of leaving and forsaking his dream. Uncle Kin happened to chance upon the music producer at the lift and he foresee that he will meet with with an unfortunate incident sometime soon. Suddenly, the lift stop its function as Uncle Kin recalled bumping into a child that may had playfully played with the buttons in the lift.

On the other hand, Kimchi held a meeting in the hospital due to the loss of profit. They had many properties that were still struck in the market and Kimchi was worried. Kimchi was disappointed when Ruby informed her that Jing Che only gave three bouquet of flowers to wish her a speedy recovery. Ka Yan gave Kimchi a name card from Jing Che and she was overjoyed that her prayer was answered. She reprimanded Ka Yan for not informing her and gave chase to Jing Che.

Kimchi dashed down the hospital only to find Jing Che car drove away. She took a stroll at the park clenching her wound. She was consoled by the name card that Jing Che gave her. Suddenly, a helicopter flew by and the strong wind blew the name card away. Kimchi anxiously looked for the name card and found it on the tree top. Desperate for the name card, Kimchi climbed up the tree and accidentally fall. Jing Che who came back for Kimchi was surprised to find her hanging upside down on the tree top in a half naked manner. He went to her rescue and brought her down safely.

Kimchi tried to persuade Jing Che to give her a chance to collaborate with each other. However, Jing Che saw through her tricks and declined to collaborate with Chin Chow if they were unable to solve their current problems. Kimchi asked for Jing Che phone number as she had lost the name card. Jing Che went over and key in his phone number in Kimchi contact list.

At night, Kimchi pretended to read a magazine while waiting for a call. Ruby saw through Kimchi thoughts and told her to admit that she has feelings for Gus. On the other hand, Gus was having dinner with his family and probe over Kimchi matters at the dinning table. 

Fun and Gus were watching television at the living room. Gus saw Fun applying ointment on her stomach and asked if the wound was painful. Fun saw through Gus was actually worried about Kimchi and was angry with himself for not being able to protect her.

Kimchi was thinking of how to message Gus and in the end she just send a message about work. Gus who was anxiously waiting for her text was disappointed. Ruby pointed out that Kimchi had hurt Gus feeling by denying their relationship after they shared the kiss. Kimchi was lost in her thoughts as she walk to the window. At the same time, Gus was looking out of the window too. 

Uncle Kin and the producer escaped unharmed despite the unfortunate incident. He related his encounter with Gus and mentioned that the music producer who is superficial praised Uncle Kin for averting this disaster and offered to hire him to a deceased singer house and invite the spirit back.

Gus saw the opportunity and invited himself to the deceased singer house. They hilariously wore the gloves and shower cap to prevent any damage to the property. While Uncle Kin took a call from the producer, Gus went to the bathroom and he accidentally broke the bathtub.  

They thought of a solution to this problem. Uncle Kin deceived the producer and pretended that the spirit of the deceased singer led them to the discovery of the music stroll which was written on the toilet paper. Uncle Kin and Gus planned and orchestrated the whole thing and they celebrated their victory. 

Ruby visited Kimchi in the hospital and informed her of this news. Kimchi immediately connected to what Gus was thinking and was overjoyed. She immediately changed her clothes and rushed down to the airport to negotiate business with Jing Che.

On the other hand, Gus used Uncle Kin to promote and sell the properties at Chin Chow. They were filming the advertisement when Ruby approached them. Gus was furious that Kimchi had acted on her own again. He phoned Kimchi and instructed her to raise the properties from 10 percent to 30 percent. In the end, Kimchi decided to trust Gus. 

Drama Review

I think it was quite sad that Uncle Kin has to give up his dream for bread and butter. He has the potential of a singer but he just don't have the chance to fulfill his dream. Sometimes, that is the reality of the world. It is more practical for Uncle Kin to earn a living and provide for his children. I can understand Uncle Kin disappointment as he wanted to be known as a singer, not a feng shui master.

In this episode, i am glad to see a glimpse of Kimchi thoughts for Gus. She actually trusted Gus and she does not want to start a relationship with him and later lost him when things does not work out between them. It was the fear of lost that prevented her from making the move to accept Gus love. I like the way she confided in her best friend Ruby. They were able to understand each other. 

I also love the mother and son relationship. Fun knows her son very well. I also like Gus character in this drama. He is very smart, resourceful and dependable. The most importantly, he is very protective over Kimchi. The scene where they miss each other and looked out of the window at the same time was very touching. 

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Uncle Kin Wife had ran away from home, leaving three children to his care. However, Uncle Kin was only interested in singing, thus neglected the household. Auntie Fun came to visit her younger brother and was surprised that his children were only eating cup noodles everyday. Uncle Kin found a stack of books passed down from generations, it’s about fengshui. On the other hand, Kimchi held a meeting in her room and all the staffs were gathered there to the dismay of Ka Yan. 

Gus and Kimchi displayed affection for each other to the amazement of others. Gus peeled an orange for Kimchi and they fed each other happily like a couple. Kimchi suggested to work together with a multi-million organisation owned by the flirtatious and wealthy man Jing Che. 

Jing Che had a reputation of a playboy in the field and it was known that none of the lady he had been with bad mouthed him at all. In order to meet him, many people played all kinds of tricks to get his attention. Kimchi kept complimenting Jing Che and Gus was jealous. Out of spite, Gus and bickered and revealed that they kissed last night. After the meeting, Kimchi asked Chiu Yan alone to stayed back and ask about the San Po house. 

Gus thought that Chiu Yan secretly signed the acquisition deal with San Po and, pocketed the commission. However Chiu Yan had no idea of what happened and promised to help to find who was the spy that betrayed the company. Gus thought that they have to do something to cover up this matter.

Uncle Kin neglected his family and his children blamed him for chasing his dream at the expense of the family. Auntie Cat came to visit the children and suggested to take care of her nephews on behalf of her sister. At the office, Ruby often bullied Chiu Yan. She teased him for wearing pink and looked like Pink Panther. During the meeting, Ruby purposely ordered Chiu Yan to packet lunch for all the colleagues.

At a restaurant, Chiu Yan and his colleagues saw Ruby boyfriend boasted to his real estate colleagues about getting information from Ruby to persuade San Po to sell the property to him. Chiu Yan was tasked to find out more about this matter even if it was for his brother. Chiu Yan went to look for Ruby and was triggered to find out what happened. He met Ruby on the street and started to follow her at the back. The police officers stopped Chiu Yan as he seem to be a suspicious stalker. Ruby claimed that she did not know him. Unable to contain his frustration anymore, Chiu Yan confronted Ruby on why she kept picking on him all these years.

The story begins in year 2008, Ruby brought a back cushion after she saw Chiu Yan owning one in the office. However, Gus misunderstood it as a couple back cushion. In a bid to shut down rumors, Chiu Yan purposely dirtied Ruby back cushion and brought a different design for her. On the other occasion, Chiu Yan threw away some snacks that belonged to Ruby. The last straw was when Chiu Yan wrongly accused Ruby when a colleague found a used condom in the rubbish bin. Chiu Yan was astonished and the police officers suggested that he reflect on his misdeed. 

Back to the story of Uncle Kin and his three children. He went to his sister Yan house and was persuaded to fetch the children back and fulfill his duty as a father. At home, Uncle Kin saw his eldest son underwear and was worried about him reaching puberty soon. Therefore, Uncle Kin initiated to meet his son and explain about puberty. To his surprise, his son was very matured. 

Uncle Kin gave a nun chunks for his eldest son to the envy of the younger siblings.  The eldest son showed his siblings how to play with the nun chucks. Suddenly, he accidentally broke Auntie Cat fortune cat on the shelf. Uncle Kin came to fetched his children home and reassured Auntie Cat that he will be a responsible father to his children now.

Chiu Yan reflected his action and was remorseful. He brought a gift for Ruby secretly. Suddenly, he was shocked to see Ruby coming back to the office late at night and he tried to hide himself behind the table. He eavesdropped on Ruby conversation with his boyfriend and reported to Gus about her betrayal. 

At the staff meeting, Kimchi confronted Gus about hiding the truth about the acquisition of San Po property . Gus tried to explain himself but Kimchi wil have none of it. She blamed Gus for his inability to seal the deal with San Po.

While bickering, Gus blunt out that Ruby was the traitor that betrayed the company as she was suspected to have sold the information to her boyfriend. Therefore, the other real estate agency went ahead of them and sealed the deal. Kimchi did not believe Ruby will leak the information to her boyfriend.

While quarreling, Kimchi was agitated and her wound started to bleed. Gus immediately carried her and insisted to send her to the hospital. Despite the objection from Kimchi, Gus reassured her that he will find another way to this problem.

Instead of concentrating on recuperating, Kimchi tried to attract the attention of Jing Che, the wealthy man. She pretended to be hit by Jing Che car and was disappointed when the person that stepped out of the car was another man instead. Suddenly, Kimchi wound started to bleed profusely as she squeezed her wound. To her surprise, Jing Che offered his hand and sent her to the hospital immediately. 

Drama Review

Kimchi literally worship money and will scheme and con just to get what she wants. The female character was thought to be unlikable and sometimes irritating. However, i decided to give her some time and believe that somewhere in the middle, she will have a growth in her character. On the other hand, i am swoon over Gus gentlemanly and caring attitude towards Kimchi. He always has his eyes on Kimchi but it seem that Kimchi did not want any commitment at all. 

Chiu Yan and Ruby side story has an interesting element in it as they were loggerhead couple that later develop love for each other. I think Billy was pretty good in the drama and he has good chemistry with Krisby.  I hope that this pair will have their own story to tell while they provide all the good laugh in this drama. 

Last but not least, i enjoyed the family love between Uncle Kin and his sister Fun. They were supportive of each other and i can see that Fun really cared for her brother. Likewise, i like the way that Uncle Kin finally realized that he had missed all the opportunities and time with his children. He has been chasing after his passion in singing and neglected his children. Auntie Cat also love her nephews and even offered to take them in and look after them. It was pretty touching when Uncle Kin reconciled with his children and promised to take good care of them. 

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Chin Chow Property Agency was in deep trouble due to the irresponsibility of their staff. Therefore, a group of people waited outside the building to seek justice for their property. Kimchi suggested everyone to leave the building through the back door. However, Gus insisted to walk through the front door to face the angry crowd. 

Gus tried to ease the fury of the crowds and apologize to them. However, the crowds were not easy to appease. They threw eggs and cakes towards Gus as they demand for a better explanation. One of them even threw a hand phone and Kimchi took the blow for Gus. She was injured and send to the hospital.

Gus and his family were worried about Kimchi and wondered if it was wrong to chase Kimchi away since she did suffered a blow for Gus. Auntie Cat doubted that it was that simple as Kimchi is a Pixiu that is attracted to wealth. There may be other reason why she took the blow for Gus. The nurse informed them that Kimchi only suffered minor injury and need some stitches on her forehead. Behind closed door, Gus and Kimchi discuss about the success of their strategies. It appears that Kimchi decided to save Gus is to gain sympathy from the raging crowds and to turn the focus point to themselves as the victim in this case. After knowing each other for so long, they can read each other intention. Unknown to them, Gus family were eavesdropping on their conversation. 

Gus held Kimchi hand and instructed her not to take the risk for the company again. Kimchi agreed and went back to work the following day. She wanted to purchase a can of coffee from the vending machine when a pilot reached out behind her and brought the coffee for her. Gus who has been standing behind witnessed what happened and was extremely jealous. He snatched the can of coffee from Kimchi and drown it down his throat. 

At the meeting, Gus complimented Kimchi for saving the Chin Chow from crisis and Kimchi in return praise Gus for his effort. They also reproached their senior staff for not managing his staffs well, thus all the troubles. 

After the meeting, Kimchi was unsatisfied and look for Gus to address the problems with Auntie Cat. She claimed that Auntie Cat had flew to an island to look for bird nest and business opportunities for her healthcare shop.  She also accused Auntie Cat for using the company resources for her own business. Gus knew of this matter and choose to brush it off as he maintained that it was not a big issue since they are a family. Kimchi also stated that Gus family wanted to kick her out of the company to which Gus assured her that he will not allow anybody to step across the boundaries.

Without getting the affirmation that she wanted, Kimchi followed Gus into the men's toilet and whispered something to his ears. Gus was excited to hear her suggestion but answered "no" to her request. He would not allow anyone to hurt or chase out his family member even if he was really tempted.

Gus chased after Kimchi and asked her if was serious about her suggestion to go for an oversea trip together. Kimchi replied that they are only going for a trip and nothing more than that. She let on that she was previously hurt by her ex boyfriend and does not trust anyone. Suddenly, Kimchi had an acute pain on her stomach and Gus immediately send her to the hospital. 

Gus met with his younger sister Ka Yan who is working in the hospital as a nurse. They wheeled Kimchi into the hospital and was examined by the doctor. Kimchi was diagnosed with appendicitis and required immediate surgery and care. The doctor causally stated that it was fortunate that her boyfriend (Gus) found out during the early stage to which Kimchi immediately denied that they are lovers. She claimed that they are business partner. While waiting for Kimchi to prepare for the surgery, Gus received a phone call from his subordinate, he informed Gus that San Po, the owner of one of the house had came back to Hong kong. They needed to close the deal as soon as possible to buy in the property. Gus instructed him not to disclose this matter to anyone and he will settle it personally.

Kimchi requested to see Gus to his delight as he dashed in to see her. Kimchi told Gus to go back and handle the matters in the company since he is not a doctor and is useless to stay by her side. Gus insisted to hold on to her phone and will return it after the surgery. While waiting to go to the operation table, Kimchi requested to go to the toilet. She took out the hidden phone and called Ruby. She found out that San Po came back to Hong Kong and she should not miss this opportunity.

On the other hand, Gus was enjoying his coffee and trying to decode the phone in order to sneak a look at Kimchi privacy. Unfortunately, he was unable to figure out the code to unlock the phone. Suddenly, Ka Yan rushed to looked for Gus and informed him that Kimchi had sneaked away from the hospital. Feeling puzzled, Gus dig into his pocket and realized that Kimchi had sneaked back her other hand phone when he got distracted.

Gus tried to contact Kimchi and persuaded her to come back for her surgery. However, Kimchi had already gotten into a cab and blamed Gus for not informing her about this matter. She hang up the phone and alighted at the building. She walked through the dark staircase as she recalled her painful childhood memories. She met San Po and tried to persuade her to sell her house. She talked about her childhood memories on how she was abandoned by her father and younger brother and grew up feeling that money is the most important thing.

Gus who had arrived at the house had been eavesdropping their conversation. He knew that the man that hurt Kimchi the most was none other than her own father. Suddenly, Kimchi collapsed from the pain of her open wound. Gus immediately reached out and carried her down the long stairway Kimchi in her semi unconscious state whispered that Gus can be dated.  

Worried about Kimchi, Gus carried her all the way to the hospital and insisted to stay by her side. Ka Yan tried to stop her brother from disturbing the patient who is resting but Gus managed to distract Ka Yan and went into the room. To his surprise, Kimchi eye make up were smudged. Ka Yan stated that this is a hospital, not a beauty salon. In her semi conscious state,  Kimchi asked if they had brought over San Po property. Gus suddenly realized that and instructed her sister not to mention that he was in the hospital and ran off to sign the deal with San Po.

Gus went back to look for San Po and persuaded her to sign the paper but San Po said that she will consider about it. She then divulge a secret about what she heard when Gus carried Kimchi down the stairs.  She overheard that Kimchi said Gus can be dated. When Gus heard about it, he was overjoyed and did a short dance in front of San Po to celebrate his victory. 

Gus thank San Po  for the information and ran to the hospital to visit Kimchi. When Kimchi woke up after the surgery, she was asked by Ka Yan what she wanted to have for breakfast tomorrow. Suddenly, Kimchi recalled what she said to Gus in her drowsy state. She felt relieved that Gus did not hear her confession.

Gus came by to visit Kimchi in the hospital and discovered that Kimchi was already fast asleep.  He came nearer to Kimchi and attempted to plant a kiss on her lips. Kimchi was surprised that Gus had actually overheard her confession at the staircase.

Gus initially hesitated to kiss Kimchi but he thought it was not a big deal since Kimchi had already accepted his love. He went near to Kimchi and she dodged the kiss by turning away to face the other side. 

Not about to give up, Gus went to her and whispered that he had sealed the deal with San Po. It turned out that Gus was just trying to test Kimchi reaction and he noticed that her eyebrow twitched a little when she heard of the good news. Gus pretended to leave the room and when Kimchi turned around, she was surprised to see Gus looking straight at her. 

Gus knew that Kimchi was deeply hurt due to the childhood trauma and said that nobody in this world can give her security. Therefore, he had given up to be her boyfriend. Kimchi felt conflicted and upset by the confession. However, Gus continued that he wanted to be her family instead. He promised not to abandon Kimchi and will stand by her always. 

Kimchi was deeply touched by Gus and they hugged each other tightly. Looking at each other in the eyes, they lean forward and shared a kiss. Gus laid his hand on Kimchi bottom and was called out by Kimchi for taking advantage of a family member. Gus apologize cheekily and they resumed their kiss again.

Drama Review

This episode focus on Gus as a sweet and kind man. He is courageous when faced with problem and did not back down from any challenges. I love the fact that his name is the same as his character. He has always being the peace maker of the family as he tried to strike a balance between being a good man to Kimchi and a good son to his mother.  I like the fact that he is protective over his family members and took it upon himself to look after everyone.

Kimchi was abandoned by her family after a dinner. Even though at a young age she knew the motive of her father. She knew that he father favor her younger brother more than her and will abandon her at the right time. Therefore, she tied herself to her brother. Even when she was almost knocked down by a car, it did not stop her father from leaving. I understand how lonely and betrayed she felt at the moment.

Gus confession at the hospital was so touching, sincere and romantic. How i wish there is such a perfect man in real life. I melted at his confession and sincerity. Gus cheeky smile and various expressions should be make into meme. Those cute expressions and funny personality make the drama more interesting. Kimchi and Gus had been through so much and build a company from scratch, hopefully their love will blossom. :) 

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