The Untamed Episodes 1-2

[galaxysoup]

Episode 1:

• I am. Pretty confused.


• The Cultivators are basically like the Ghostbusters, right?


• It is very unfair that they all wear identical outfits. Nevertheless, there is clearly a Nice Ghostbuster (the one who is kind to what he thinks is a crazy person) and a Jerk Ghostbuster (the one who is... not).


• Serious Face Guy plays his stringed instrument VERY DRAMATICALLY and I love it


• So Black Robed Guy (who seems to have two names??) hasn't been reincarnated, he's been... resurrected and body-swapped? Because the crazy nephew hated his family (with good reason, given Jerkface McCousin's personality)? And now Black Robed Guy has to take out his hitlist?


• Why did no one seem concerned that he spent the whole episode walking around covered in blood?


• Still not sure if Black Robed Guy is evil or misunderstood or what, but I like him.


• The camerawork is DRAMATIQUE and I lol

Episode 2:

• Ooooooh whatever Wei Wuxian-whoever did in the past, it did NOT END WELL for the people who supported him


• I was not expecting the donkey to have such a recurring role in this tbh


• I really like the control-magic-with-musical-instruments idea, even if Lan Serious Face does do it with MAXIMUM DRAMA


• I also love that everyone disses Wei Wuxian's flute playing


• Is Flashback Girl the token 'this can't possibly be gay, we put a girl in it' character? That seems very unfair for her.


• All of Wei Wuxian's 'aw fuck' faces when things go wrong are hilarious


• The baby Ghostbusters... do not seem to be very bright. Even if Nice Ghostbuster continues to live up to his name and I therefore want good things for him.

(Should I put these things under a cut tag? I should probably put them under a cut tag. Sooner or later there will be spoilers.)

Comments

[bonibaru]

The first two episodes are A JOURNEY. But then after a few more when you go back and watch them again there's a lot of OH MY GOD IS THAT WHAT IT IS.

Everybody has a minimum of three names and I'm still not sure I know them all.

They color code the clans eventually and I really appreciated that lol.

[galaxysoup]

That is good to know, and I am very glad that eventually someone gets to color coding! Even as I was watching these I was thinking 'I bet these will be fun to rewatch once I know what the hell is going on' :D

[bonibaru]

Cultivators are like ghostbusters but also they are like, trainees for how to use their own spiritual energy (inside each of them is a golden core which is tied to their swords but also apparently sometimes to musical instruments too?) and apparently if they master it they can become immortal. So everybody's running around ghostbusting and at the same time trying to, IDK, ascend somehow. *waves hands*

[galaxysoup]

Interesting!! They do clearly have a complex set of... teachings, or hierarchies, or something, and Serious Face is definitely on the top. I love that Wei Wuxian was a bit of an inventor, too. That fits with what I know of his personality, so far - I bet a rigidly structured goal-focused society wasn't a natural fit for him!

[qikiqtarjuaq]

In the show, they basically act like ghost busters? But cultivators as a concept in general are basically people who cultivate their inner energy in order to attain immortality. Along the way, this results in gaining the ability to defy physics - e.g. flying, flying on swords, using instruments as a weapon (which is only one type of combat, other people can choose to throw talismans, use magic items, place battle arrays/battle formations, use good old-fashioned swords, etc.)

MDZS doesn't really go with a typical cultivation setup. Especially her take on clans and using bloodlines as inheritance as opposed to using strength. But if you want to find out more, here's a blogpost with good info on it!

[galaxysoup]

Ohhhhhhhhh that makes sense! Serious Face clearly has a more advanced set of powers than the baby cultivators, which I guess also explains why they move in packs for safety, too. And thanks for the link - I didn't realise this was such a well-established narrative device!

[clevermanka]

I was so confused the first two episodes. It gets (mostly) better.

I was not expecting the donkey to have such a recurring role in this tbh
This made me LOL and I haven't even been awake for an hour yet, so well done.

[galaxysoup]

Thank you, thank you. :D I am becoming quite fond of the donkey. And the arguments Wei Wuxian has with it.

[trobadora]

Haha, this is very entertaining to read!

"Ghostbusters", OMG. :D (You're not wrong.)

[galaxysoup]

I'm glad it is! I'm certainly entertaining myself with it. :D

WHO YA GONNA SET OFF MAGICAL FLARES FOR??

[dancing_serpent]

I also love that everyone disses Wei Wuxian's flute playing

He's actually rather good with a proper instrument. But I love that they didn't shy away from making it sound pretty awful with his hastily hacked emergency bamboo flute (or that leave of grass). Look forward to more bad flute playing later! *g*