I love this tweet by the senior writer for Rolling Stone India Riddhi Chakraborty in which she speaks of why she loves The Untamed, as well as how she sees the Chiense censorship:

“Itโ€™s important for our community to have stories like thisโ€”a pure love story that doesnโ€™t become a tragedy because the main couple are two men. They are happy and #theyhaveason! Of course I wish the censorship didnโ€™t exist and that they could show them getting married and being intimate (like they do in the original novel) because thatโ€™s all very much part of our lives as human beings, BUT… this is a step in the right direction.”

For those Beanies who might not be interested in the Boys Love genre, I would urge you to give this drama a try.

Here is Ms. Chakraborty’s moving and beautifully written tweet

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    I will forever appreciate the writers and directors for putting in the work to get past the censorship. Honestly, they could have gone the lazy route and it would have taken away from what made the book/magna so damn special.

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      So many things could have gone so wrong, but instead we got a drama that is so enriching and satisfying in so many ways. After what happened to The Addicted and how much of the story was altered for Guardian, it is an incredible feat for The Untamed to stay so true to MXTX’s MDZS.

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        Guardian was so disappointing. Yes, I said it.

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          😆😆😆 I think most viewers finished the drama because they love the novel and Bai Yu/Zhu Yilong euphoric chemistry! Considering the production woes and the uncertainty dealing with censorship, fans definitely gave the drama lots of slack imo.

          I really wanted to like it but after 3 separate attempts I only lasted as long as episode 20 and got my fill from fan edit YT vids.

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            Having pretty people attempt to make googly eyes can only get you so far in a series.

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            I only made it 20 episodes in and just couldn’t keep going. The only good thing was the main characters and actors. Everything else about this drama was so so bad.

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        it was quite a feat for the production team for the hard work that they have done and of course, let’s not forget our Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo for their amazing performance as WWX and LWJ.

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    This was my first BL drama. I donโ€™t know why I havenโ€™t seen one before. It just happened to be. Am so happy this was the first and that this show was so poignant that it beats all love stories. The show made me fall in love with their love and itโ€™s going to be so hard moving away from this. Everything just pales in comparison.

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      There is a pretty small number of BL dramas available and even a smaller number of BL dramas which are good. Most are low budget productions made for a core audience, but good ones have a lot of heart. But the incredible success of dramas like Guardian and now The Untamed certainly made the industry take notice and now there are dozens of BL dramas in various stages of production in China.

      I hear ya @mayhemf about how now everything else just pales in comparison. Their love is grand but also subtle at the same time. It is just so epic in every way.

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        Here is hoping, but like all once in a lifetime dramas, people are gonna want this to be the norm and not the exception. When will these studios/production companies get that. The tide is changing and people are growing. Get it together.

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        I’m just worried because with how China is they might actually start getting more stringent in their censorship because of how popular The Untamed (and Guardian) were. There have been many ridiculous censorship laws that have come about because of certain dramas being popular.

        So I am worried for these future BL productions and that they may be even more gutted then what Guardian was. I hope I’m wrong.

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    Ooh awesome that you post this! I read this a while ago and really like what she said.

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      I never really perceived Untamed as a BL. Just a profound love story. Never thought the drama really needed intimacy of what we think of as “BL”. It was just perfect as it was.
      But in the novel the BL intimacy worked really fine.

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        “I never really perceived Untamed as a BL. Just a profound love story.”

        ME TOO !!! And I also feel this way about the book as well. I never saw it as BL, just a epic love story.

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          Comment was deleted

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          I think I understand your pointย @linda-palapalaย andย @larelle79, which might be that love is love regardless gender, which I wholeheartedly agree. But since depiction of homosexual love is so rare in dramas that we should not lessen the significance of the success of theย The Untamedย here!
          Even though I am no expert of the BL genre and its historical evolution, the works in the genre does not always include explicit portrayals of sexual intimacy (if thatโ€™s indeed what you are referring to, which I could totally misunderstood.) I now have read quite a few BL novels which do not include any sex scenes. Also, the fact that MXTX is considered a BL genre writer and TU is an adaptation of her work, I would consider TU a BL drama despite some changes made due to censorship and/or artistic choice by the scriptwriters.
          But perhaps this is all beside the point!! I am just so happy to hear from a significant member of the Asian LGBTQ community like Riddhi Chakraborty who loves and appreciates the work and finds consolation in the dramaโ€™s success. That is meaningful for me as a firm supporter of gay rights.

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            I’m also a supporter, and TU is a great intro to BL stories, showing those who’ve never tried BL (due to prejudice) that it’s okay and maybe not quite what they imagine . And I’m certainly not trying to lessen the significance of Untamed success – it was beyond successful and even more significant to the success and advancement of BL stories because it was such a beautiful love story, even without showing the intimacy of the novel. Especially for those who never tried anything BL and think they wouldn’t be interested, just because it’s labeled “BL”. (I’m speaking of a dear friend, who I’ve never convinced to watch BL yet). TU is such a great introduction to anything BL.
            I just thought the drama was intimate enough without needing to see anything more explicit – in this particular case and drama, not as a general rule and not discounting other BL novels and dramas.
            One of my favorite dramas is Addicted, and even though it was censored and then cancelled I was so curious about what the 2nd season would have been like, so much so that I read the novel. Well, at least most of it – I was a bit disappointed in the 2nd half of the novel but for other reasons.
            I watch all of the Taiwanese HIStory and applaud their success. Even though the production quality is small (since they have a lot less money than mainland China) I’d support their artistic works anyway.
            But, all in all and tbh, I like BL dramas in general because they seem to be able to act more naturally with each other and not forced romance/forced chemisty like so many “normal” (I don’t know what other word to use for male/female!) dramas. I like the way the male characters are written usually more than the way the female characters are written.
            I really want to watch S.C.I. that was out in 2018, but can’t find it anywhere – anyone ever hear of this c-drama?
            These thoughts are kind of random and all over the place, but right now that’s how my brain is processing! I understand your point and agree with it, but then my thinking went beyond…

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            Oops, I got so into this discussion that I just burned up my teapot…

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            One more last thought that came to me as I was cleaning my teapot: what started me thinking was when I was trying to figure out what words and explanations to use to get a friend to watch the TU. If I’d tell her it was BL she would never even try it, not in the least interested. But using the words “soulmates” or “cultivation partners who solve mysteries together” and “it has a happy ending”, it’s fantasy, etc., then she might try it and like it.

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            Oh no! I hope that wasn’t your favorite teapot, @linda-palapala!

            S.C.I is available on your usual suspect websites, but unfortunately I see now all episodes are subbed. But since it is a procedural with 5 episodes per case, perhaps it is possible to watch selectively?

            I have heard good things about the show, and that the drama did its best to stay true to the OTP as portrayed by the novel although there are some changes with the side characters. It even has a lesbian couple in the show. Imagine that!! I believe that the show had achieved some well deserved success that there is talk of a second season.

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          I don’t even consider WangXian as gay. they were just two persons who fell for each other deeply.

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    I have a like dislike relationship with Riddhi…. I dislike half her articles because they read more like a personal diary than an interview, but I kinda love her social media posts.

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    Very well said. As I’m sure everyone knows, I love this drama. But one thing that made me especially love this drama is the impact it had on my mom.

    My mom is very mormon which I’m sure lots of people know are against anything LGBTQ+. I’ve had many discussions about this with her as I am a very strong supporter of gay rights, but she always held to the belief of ‘love the people but not the sin’ (because being born a certain way I suppose makes you a sinner). However, she has specifically told me that she has started to see the LGBTQ+ community in a different light. She is more obsessed with The Untamed then me as she has seen it atleast 5+ times, read the book and also read Heaven’s Official Blessing, watched the BTS, and watched all the fan meets. She loves the relationship in the drama and finds it beautiful. She has even lamented that she wished they kissed. And now in other dramas (like My Country) she will even be like ‘they should be a couple’ to 2 male characters. And the other day she sent me the below image:

    I told her it looks like my favorite scene from the book (where he is blindfolded and Lan Zhan takes total advantage of him 😏) and her response was ‘It’s my favorite scene also’.

    So even if I didn’t love the drama already, the impact it had on my mom alone, and the fact it changed some of her thoughts on gay relationships and the LGBTQ+ community makes this drama one of the most important, impactful and beloved drama I’ve ever encountered.

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      Thank you so much for sharing this, @trinpie. I am deeply moved hearing how this drama has such an impact on you in such a personal way. Cheers to this great drama for its ability to make such change one person at a time!! I am hopeful for the future.

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      Wow, thanks for sharing – it means a lot, especially knowing some people really can open their hearts and a drama like Untamed can have a positive effect because of its message of love.

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