The Untamed: At last a character review not on the leads, but on Jiang Cheng. He was horrible to WY when they returned to Lotus Cove, however there were many more caring times & a good parting.

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    The brother relationship that I wished could have had more warm times. I never considered what the reviewer suggested, ie that JC did not think WY would die and kept looking for him. He carried Suibian and Chenqing with him all the years, hoping to pass them back to WY.

    However, the above is the drama version. The novel, I think, had a less positive slant to JC. @snickers and readers of the novel will know better.

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      Nice review. This show wouldn’t be as good without him and shidje, their relationship with WX was lovely and complicated as it should be. Their actions always made perfect sense with their personalities. In the first eps I liked JC but later I sort of detested him and blamed him for his own trouble because of the stupid decision to go back to LP alone. That flashback that explains he was actually caught trying to save WX changed it almost entirely and I liked him much more.
      I think he kept looking for him because like she said, he could never deal with everything that happened between them and he was lonely so he kept hoping to find him again but at that point I think both him and LZ were looking for him in another body, not as himself anymore. She also said something about the cliff moment? That perhaps JC wasn’t really trying to kill him? I’ve never thought like that, I just imagined he was too crazy to think straight and was impulsive but I did think he meant it. The first time I thought he hit the rock instead of WX because he either could not reach him, or did not dare to hit him or LZ directly, and then I even thought he might have hit the rock knowing WX would not drag LZ and would let go, but JC wasn’t ever that smart, and not in that emotional moment, so I guess he just could not hit him directly.

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        @lixie I too am wondering now, how to interpret that scene of JC driving his sword into the rock. I thought the same as you. The reviewer suggests that he wanted to fake WY’s death and hide him in Yun Meng, but show never did drop any clues as to that.

        I thought the novel mentioned that in the raid on Burial Mounds (the actual place WY died in the written source), JC had been the one to lead the raid. However WY was killed by out of control zombies. (Not sure, but maybe then, therefore, JC never had a reason to look for him, knowing that he had died). The drama changed these parts, probably for the better, from the viewing viewpoint.

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          Fake his death? At that moment? No, he wouldn’t. The best he could do was not to strike him directly and make him fall, without the certainty that he was really killing him and never having to feel the blame for that.
          The drama changed this part for the best, not only for the dramatic effect but for all the major characters it was the best choice.

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            @lixie I too don’t think it was to fake his death.

            Taking more from the novel than from the drama, which gave us nothing much on JC anyway, my guess is that at Yanli’s death, JC was out for blood himself. His habitual reaction was fault-finding and anger. Under extremes of emotion, that would have been his go-to reaction as well.

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          I still hold to the belief he struck the rock to break it apart or was going to cut their wrists (he turned his sword like he was going to make another movement with it). He definitely intended to kill WWX, or atleast wasn’t bothered by his death, because after he fell JC had a very clear good riddance look on his face. He didn’t look upset in the least. If he had intended to hide WWX away (I’m sorry, this is one of the most far-reaching theories I’ve seen) he would have atleast looked upset after WWX fell.

          In the novel everyone believed JC killed WWX (and JC never refuted this either). But WWX told everyone that JC didn’t kill him, it was his powers backfiring that killed him. But WWX had also mentioned previously that he remembers almost nothing after Nightless City. So it’s not 100% sure how he died in the novel.

          JC actually looks all over the place for WWX after his death. He kept thinking he would possess people so he was ruthless to anyone who practiced his cultivation path. If anyone seemed like he could be WWX he would viciously torture them in the hopes to reveal the truth. This is also why he was so quick to think WWX was WWX when he returned.

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            Yes, he walked away as soon as he fell and he seemed sad but to me his face says he’s thinking WX got what he deserved.

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            Nightless City was extremely traumatic for WWX. He lost his mind. He did recover before the siege of Burial Mound. He destroyed half of the seal. He knew if Wen Ning were still with him the siege might have turned out differently. He remembered that for 13 years he was a good solitary ghost never causing any trouble. And, there was nothing left of him to be found by anyone. Thus, I believe that he actually lost control of his fierce corpses then they turned on him.

            Many Jiang Chen novel fans believe that he wanted to let WWX go during the siege without anything to back up the belief. Main problem is the Wen remnants. Unless JC was ready to let them all go, no way WWX would abandon them. None of them were spared.

            “Protect that which the person you love wants to protect.” JC didn’t do it for his sister who sacrificed herself to save WWX. He also didn’t do it for WWX who sacrificed himself for those who helped him and JC during their most desperate time.

            If the coalition found Wen Yuan (Lan Si Zhui) instead of LWJ, what would have happened? If JC actually took him in, would JC treat like Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights) treated the 2nd generation? Or, would it be more wuxia trope – Conceal his true identity to raise him to hate and seek revenge on his own people?

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            Novel doesn’t say JC looked everywhere for WWX. It says, via hearsay and gossip, he took anyone who was suspected of practicing demonic cultivation then tortured that person trying to determine whether that person was possessed by WWX. There might be some truth because he did want to take MXY. This doesn’t mean he actively searched for people who fit the profile. More like chanced upon.

            We actually don’t know whether JC carried ChenQin all the time. We only know that he had it with him at GuanYin Temple. By then, he was finally facing and working through his WWX issues. ChenQin could’ve been locked away and sealed by powerful spell up til then.

            Remember JGY kept WWX’s manuscripts and SuiBian for 13 years. WenNin waited for WWX all this time and wouldn’t let anyone else control him.

            Again, LWJ never looked everywhere for WWX for 13 yrs. Nothing in the novel even remotely suggested that while at various places he took the opportunity to look for WWX. Starting when he was young, he helped ordinary people everywhere with their ghostly troubles. It’s actually an insult to his character saying that helping people was secondary or of the same priority as to looking for WWX.

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            When WWX heard how Chang sect leader (Xue Yang arc) died by a thousand cuts (not paper cuts😉), WWX emphasized thinking no one would know more about experiencing horrific death than himself.

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            Thanks @trinpie and @snickers for the novel’s perspective.
            I feel this is the interpretation that makes sense.

            I wish there was a bridging narrative (I guess fan fic covers this part) that covers the period between WWX’s death and how Nie Huaisang managed to find and bag his spirit.

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      personally, to me novel was same… and i have held this viewpoint even before drama started so i am happy drama also stuck to that perspective..

      there are too many things and mxtx interviews and easter eggs which reinforce that WY was so much more to JC.. he was a real brother, real family..

      JC was also lonely kid and given what a sunshine WY is.. there is no way JC-WY bonding wouldn’t have been strong

      The two people who waited for him- LZ and JC, JC always gets overlooked in favour of LZ (by WY)

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        I agree. I believe the reason why JC was so hateful and bitter towards WWX is because he did love him deeply. One of the things he was most upset about was that WWX broke his promise by leaving him to go be the Yiling Patriarch, when he had promised to stay with him as his right-hand man. He felt betrayed and abandoned by the man who was a true brother to him. And due to JC’s personality, it turned that hurt into anger and rage. I mean, he basically gave up his life for WWX when he let himself get caught instead of WWX getting caught which shows he loved him deeply.

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          I think JC feelings toward WWX is a full range LOVE-HATE feelings…. He loves him so much that it also makes him to hate him greatly when he thinks that WWX betrayed him and caused the death of all his family… he basically directly/indirectly participates in killing him but at the same time he’s longing for him to be alive…

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          True.. and people don’t realize that JC never knew of sacrifices of Wen siblings , he did not know what WX went through.. so from his perspective he didn’t understand why Wen Nian was so important to WX..why almost like a younger brother and so protective

          And WX’s perspective is very different.. he knows how much he owes to Wen siblings and he HAD to help them..

          people forget that HUGE difference

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            Most people who have been saved by others, such as sudden heart attack sufferers, are grateful to those who saved them without being fully aware during the incident. The knowledge itself is enough.

            At least in the novel, JC did know WQ and WN did him a big favor.

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    I’m glad we got an analysis of Jiang chen’s character, I do think he has always cared for WY as his brother and was relieved he had returned by the end of the drama.
    JC did intend for WY to die but chose the most cowardly & clever way of killing him. He was able to cement his reputation as a strong leader among the other sects and actually avoid making the killing blow, he could essentially absolve himself from feeling guilty.

    My main issue with JC is that we don’t see any growth in his character in the 13 or 16 years since WY’s death. His default response is anger, we don’t get to see if he ever reflects or acknowledges his part in the downfall of WY before wei ning revealed the truth.

    I am so glad that sweetie brought up the master-servant dynamic between JC and WY. The parents did so much damage to these kids, JC lashing out to everyone and blaming WY because he is hurt and WY hiding his suffering because he is a tool for the sect and for JC.

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      I agree that JC received the short end of the stick in the writing never giving him character development.

      His parents made his lack of confidence and jealousy, when compared to WWX, worse, by their appearing to take sides. At least JC was still able to surmount the worst of his negative feelings and attitude when he chose to save WWX.

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      To be fair it was impossible for JC to make a progress when he lost everything ( his parents, sister, brother/best friend, etc.) and kept in dark… he looked for an answer 16 years but found nothing… how can he forget, how can he let it go…?!! The only thing he has done in the past 16 years was loving and protecting JL the only family decedent

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