The Untamed w/ Nik Boylan

About this episode

Lesley and Ben discuss the Chinese fantasy drama The Untamed with guest Nik Boylan, exploring its historical context and unique genre.

Lesley and Ben’s season on International TV continues with The Untamed, an ahistorical Chinese fantasy drama from Tencent Video. We’re joined by Nik Boylan of Legends of Laia and Athraplay, who has spent the last year becoming an Untamed expert. After our hosts flip out about the massive complex of historical sets and theme park attractions that the Untamed is filmed at, we learn about the Xianxia genre of Chinese fantasy and the bizarre path this show took to be adapted. Lesley, Ben and Nik faun over the commitment to the bit on display in The Untamed - with its costumes, wire work martial arts, high energy visual effects and campy dialogue. Truly, this is what tv was made for.We’re watching Season One, Episode One of the Untamed. We start with a climactic battle in the Nightless City where a series of sorcerer knights struggle to grasp a shadowy demonic magical object. The rogue Cultivator Wei Wuxian falls off a cliffside after a confrontation with Lan Wangji. 16 years later, Wei Wuxian is summoned back to the land of the living as part of a ritual preformed by Mo Xuanyu. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are reunited, but Wei Wuxian isn’t sure he wants Lan Wangji to see him yet…

People in this episode

Hosts: Lesley, Ben

Guest: Nik Boylan

Topics covered

• Chinese fantasy drama
• Xianxia genre
• television history
• adaptation
• visual effects

Keywords

• The Untamed
• Chinese fantasy
• Xianxia
• television
• adaptation
• Wei Wuxian
• Lan Wangji
• Mo Xuanyu

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Tencent Video

Books & works: The Untamed

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