Hi all!! I don't usually do this but I'm interrupting your dash to yell that you should go watch Bad Buddy if you haven't! It is the cutest gay romcom the world has ever seen and what it has accomplished with just 12 episodes is a colossal win for the queer romance genre and queer audience everywhere on earth! 🏳️🌈 Guaranteed 10/10 excellent acting, chemistry, direction and storytelling.
The episodes are all available on YouTube! You can also read my post about why the show is groundbreaking if you need more convincing.
Picking up where last episode ended, we see this scene again just in case the viewers forgot Wei Ying offered to carry Lan Zhan on his back. Joke’s on them, we all scampered for our lives the first time we saw it to hit play on episode 13 and find out whether it would actually happen. It’s ok y’all, they’re just baiting the hets watching this show. (I’m sure some of their hearts leapt at the possibility of Wei Ying carrying Lan Zhan and they were probably thinking, “I hope this doesn’t awaken something in me.”)
Wei Ying sends paperman to request Wen Qing to help them. The Yiling Laozu is a renowned innovator, but perhaps what the cultivation world didn’t know was that it was because his lover always keeps him on his toes and he’s had a lot of practice using his imagination to invent a thousand ways to get around Lan Zhan’s protests to help him, protect him, love him and build a home in his heart.
We catch a glimpse of Lan Zhan’s true feelings here and he is glad Wei Ying wordlessly understands the thoughts he does not voice out. It has to be hard for the mighty Hanguang-Jun to admit vulnerability in the open like this. But he doesn’t need to because Wei Ying knows him well enough by now. It’s just going to take Lan Zhan a while to get used to it. Let’s be patient with him y’all, Wei Ying is his first boyfriend after all! Wangxian’s initial dynamics have been about Lan Zhan going through life’s trials like, “I can do this by myself, I’ve seen worse and fear nothing” and Wei Ying taking his hand like, “I know you can but you don’t have to do that all the time. You have me now.”
Perhaps this shot of Wangxian walking together screamed that they were #husbands too loudly that they chose to show no closeups of it. But of course Wei Ying held on to Lan Zhan through the whole journey.
Wangxian Paving The Way
I adore this shot of Lan Zhan and Wei Ying leading everyone and being dauntless torchbearers who illuminate the uncharted territory before them. This queer couple is truly going where no heteros ever went, and the hets can only cower behind them. Heck yeah for this badass representation!
Wen Chao is back on his bullshit, bullying Wangxian again and Lan Zhan sees red.
Lan Zhan even with his broken leg is the first one to climb down and help Wei Ying stand up before he’s even considered getting up. Did Lan Zhan move at lightning speed to help the love of his life? You bet he did.
Lan Zhan is the first one to take Mian Mian’s side and he does it because, well, it’s the honorable thing to do and he will not hesitate to defend the innocent. This is however especially hilarious because Lan Zhan later grows insanely jealous about Wei Ying intercepting the arrow that was meant for her, when Lan Zhan was close to perhaps doing the same thing and risking his life in this instant. But of course he’s too far gone to realize that.
Someone Please Make Wen Chao STFU
This man hasn’t uttered a single non-homophobic word on this show and deserves all the ass-kicking coming his way in the near future.
Unrelated but I just find it funny how this creature has terrible eyesight, you know just like the fearsome censor board that let all the gay ass moments pass and some viewers we still have to convince CQL team did a great job telling the world Wangxian are in love. This creature might as well represent the heteronormative vision that plagues viewers.
Wei Ying is giving a lot of attention to Mian Mian and it only takes an educated guess to venture Lan Zhan is positively vibrating from crown to toe with jealousy, since he admits as much later. He’s already turned away from this sight that he cannot stand to watch. Quick! He needs to figure out a way to save the day and impress Wei Ying with his sexy wits so he can have all the attention back on him.
Wei Ying Saves The World & Lan Zhan Saves Him
It’s highkey hot how Lan Zhan plucks Wei Ying out of harm’s way time and again. This show really gave us Lan Zhan leaping in front of Wei Ying to suffer a physical injury and Wei Ying leaping in front of Mian Mian to take the branding iron to his chest in the same episode. And yet only one of them is read as a romantic act by some.
Wei Ying trying to save everyone and offering himself in their place, while Lan Zhan leaps in front of him to form a protective barrier between him and certain death is basically CQL in a nutshell.
‘Trapped In The Cave’ Is The Most Romantic Trope Ever
Chronologically speaking, the cave scene boasts some of the most romantic moments in the show. This is a plot device we know all too well. How many times have we seen straight couples forced to spend time together and the rest of the characters conveniently eliminated from the scene? And how fantastic is it that this facilitates much-needed communication and quality bonding time between our protagonists? The fact that they brought the most ancient trope in storytelling alive for Wangxian is the most damning evidence there is! Ten whole minutes of Wangxian hurt/comfort tag.. did we really get to see this?
We’ve also never seen Lan Zhan hurt and suffer like this. It’s very telling Wei Ying is the only one who gets to see this vulnerable side of him and Lan Zhan has long since stopped fighting him on it. He is grateful Wei Ying is by his side and annoyed when he isn’t the recipient of his undivided attention. This is their new normal.
No force is strong enough to stop Wei Ying from taking care of his Lan Zhan! Him using the sacred headband as a makeshift bandage? Once again a testament to him being a queer visionary. He just has the foresight to turn ordinary situations into something extraordinarily gay and no one is complaining.
When will this story stop drawing attention to the fact that Wei Ying is the only one allowed to touch Lan Zhan’s headband? We get it! They’re married, your honor.
It’s cute that when in doubt about solving a life or death situation, Wei Ying can always make Lan Zhan gay panic as the most effective remedy. Let’s break this legendary scene down shot by shot.
You know how straight shows use homoerotically charged scenes as comedic relief because oh, it’s an absolutely hilarious notion that two guys could actually be in a relationship? CQL subverts that and plays gag reel music to distract the censors from the fact that this whole scene is GAY as eff with fireworks popping in rainbow colors.
There is truly only one person in this world who can fluster Lan Zhan to hell and back and still save his life in the process and that’s the love of his life.
This shot of a dazed Lan Zhan gently blinking in uncloaked awe and starting to realize what Wei Ying just did is teeming with a fragility that feels like something the audience shouldn’t have been privy to. And it will do good for us to remember, this is how he sees Wei Ying. This is the man Lan Zhan sees, this is the man he fell in love with, who is the sole recipient of this unguarded expression, the man he chose to stand with in the end: His soulmate who protects him, takes care of him, listens to him, is already there holding him up before Lan Zhan has even thought about needing someone to lean on. The world will see many things in Wei Ying in the episodes to come but Lan Zhan sees this guy with the purest heart, a soulmate and hero who has seemingly ascended from a gay fairytale to sweep him off his feet and hold his hand while slaying monsters.
I think this is the final straw in every sense there is for Lan Zhan. All the walls he built have ruptured and he trusts Wei Ying with his life and is glad to have his company in what seems like the end of the world. Of course he treasures these memories with Wei Ying in the cave beyond words and time. He’s a true romantic, y’all.
I know I wasn’t the only one who gasped first time watching this scene, when Lan Zhan caught Wei Ying’s hand, took the panacea and treated his chest wound with a suave, “You’re welcome”. It is a simple but sweet romantically reciprocating gesture that speaks volumes about Lan Zhan’s love for Wei Ying. It screams, “Why do you care for the world but not yourself, you bleeding idiot?”
Out of all the looks Lan Zhan has sported in the entirety of this show, turns out jealousy looks the most attractive on him.
This scene is a goldmine for every viewer who has been invested in Lan Zhan’s character growth and we see him reach a new peak here. He takes care of Wei Ying, is jealous of Mian Mian, vocalizes it more than once, scolds Wei Ying for not prioritizing himself and confides in Wei Ying for the first time. These are all signs of a man who is taking Wei Ying as his life partner. And what is endearing is how encountering danger is the routine for two people who have dedicated their lives to protecting others, and yet Lan Zhan is disappointed and exasperated that Wei Ying values his own self so little. And if that is not the hallmark of a swoonworthy romance, I don’t know what is.
This scene also gave us two bros sitting zero feet apart and gazing passionately into each other’s eyes as the fire illuminates their faces in a tender romantic glow for no reason except that they’re flamingly gay. (And arguing about a non-issue involving a girl but that’s again precisely because they are certainly, unequivocally gay.) A classic, “Are you lost, bro?” “Lost in your eyes bro” moment!
First time I watched this scene I fully expected Wei Ying to complete his sentence with, “Unless you like Mian Mian me…” and Lan Zhan to grow gloriously red and confirm that. Even though that’s basically what this scene ended up establishing. The subtext, intonation and the proximity of their loaded glance all point that it is the idea that was meant to be evoked in the minds of the viewers.
That’s the sound of Wei Ying laughing in relief that Lan Zhan considers him his partner in life. The inherent romanticism that is seen here with the fire crackling over the long-awaited conversation and relationship progress between our couple!
It’s funny how life changes. One minute you’re fighting The Tortoise of Slaughter, the next minute you’re mad at your boyfriend for flirting with someone who isn’t you. Even the Bearer of Light has his bad days, and Wei Ying is there to ensure they don’t end badly.
Yes Wei Ying! How unlucky for you both and how lucky for us that we got to see this scene that lives timelessly in our hearts.
Wei Ying already knows this but hearing it from Lan Zhan is staggering all the same, especially since this is the first time Lan Zhan has spoken to him in a while without prying eyes and ears.
To top it all off, the episode concluded with another romantic trope: looking lovingly and longingly at your beloved when they sleep. Folks, how gay is it to wrap your boyfriend in your robes and gaze worriedly at his lips whilst he sleeps? I reckon that’s hella gay!
All in all, this masterpiece of an episode gave us Lan Zhan fuming in many glorious shades of green, set Wangxian up in a situation they couldn’t get out of, taking them to certain end of the world and tinging the entire scene in la vie en rose. Needless to say it is an episode we’ve revisited countless times because nothing made us happier! But hold on tight y’all, it’s going to get a lot gayer and bumpier.
Even when Wen Chao asks for their swords, Wei Ying is trying desperately to make Lan Zhan look him in the eye to telepathically understand what his soulmate is feeling. Lan Zhan hates it but he has no choice but to cooperate with the enemy. He has withdrawn to himself after the multiple losses he’s faced and being a puppet at the hands of the Wens must be rattling him some more. Even if he wanted to tell Wei Ying everything that’s on his mind, he wouldn’t have been able to find the words to.
Lucky for him, Wei Ying has an inkling that his Lan Zhan has faced an inexplicable disaster and that’s why he’s behaving this way with him. He knows it doesn’t mean he should stop reaching out. His concern for him leads him to repeatedly seek Lan Zhan’s face, looking for anything that might suggest how he can alleviate his plight.
One of the perks of having Wei Wuxian as your boyfriend is that he was born ready to make a clown out of the most dastardly villains.
Wei Ying Says “Fuck You” In The Name Of Love
Wei Ying has a brilliant idea to talk to Lan Zhan or at least let him know he is not alone.
There is something powerfully impressive and quietly romantic about Wei Ying insulting the Wen clan by reciting the Lan clan’s rules to Wen Chao’s face, on the heels of the former decimating and annexing the latter. Of course Wei Ying is the first one in a room to stand up to a bully and protect the others but Wei Ying knows Lan Zhan’s hands are tied right now, even if he doesn’t know what exactly happened. But that’s okay, because Wei Ying will defend his honor and become Lan Zhan’s hands, his mouth, his everything that delivers the unmistakable “fuck you” on behalf of his family. And he does it in an act of rebellion that originates in the sanctum of love. Understandably, Lan Zhan falls more in love with him.
Wei Ying’s Plan Misfires
His happiness is short-lived, but honestly who could predict his plan would go like this?
We see that Lan Zhan does want to confide in his soulmate the pain and pressure he’s been dealing with alone the whole time, but it’s too dangerous for them to talk right now.
Wen Chao carries the same kind of smugness as a prick who’s been waiting to out a gay couple. I mean how awful do you have to be to physically abuse Wangxian for.. being Wangxian? Blatant homophobia right there.
Wei Ying has had enough of Wen Chao’s bullshit and is unafraid to clap back with his signature cheekiness.
When Wei Ying is captured, Lan Zhan blocks the whip coming his way and ends up taking a hit to his injured leg. Wei Ying then wants Wen Chao to come for him instead of Lan Zhan, and we can honestly expect nothing less from Wangxian at this point.
Lan Zhan conquers his silent grieving and mute seething to stand in defiance against Wen Chao. It is worth mentioning that his patience and tolerance can even bear the brunt of a fallen world, but cease to exist the second someone mistreats Wei Ying before his eyes. You know what they say about love being a vicious motivator. His protective stance here screams..
Lan Zhan Holds On To Wei Ying For A Short Span Of Eternity
Wen Chao sure is very curious about the nature of their relationship and unable to fathom what Wei Ying could possibly want with Lan Zhan. He’s already safe and sound with him in Qishan, so if they’re not talking about the Yin Iron, what the hell is it? This inquisition is a bit ridiculous, as if the writer specifically gave him these lines to point out to the audience that Wangxian are being soulmates in love once again.
What Lan Zhan does not say, he makes up for with the million times he reaches for Wei Ying instinctively; spontaneous skinship is one of the ways through which his love for Wei Ying finds expression. It is phenomenal that He Who Does Not Touch People firmly holds on to his lover through this whole monologue that follows.
There are few things in the world that can inspire Lan Zhan’s wrath and protection right now, and Wei Ying commands both so effortlessly. Defeated as he is, for Wei Ying, Lan Zhan is always a man of action. And this action particularly proves his willingness to send packing to hell whoever dares to come close to his lover. I wonder what would’ve happened if Wei Ying hadn’t gone to the dungeon on his own volition.
Wangxian Are Once Again Ready To Risk It All For Each Other
It would’ve been nice to see them get their alone time, but what’s one more complication on the path of true love, right?
If you thought about it, Wangxian’s universe truly conspires to bring them together sometimes. Wen Ning tells Wei Ying everything Lan Zhan wasn’t able to, and Wen Qing does everything in her power to ensure they’re both out of harm’s way. Even when our heroes aren’t able to spend time together, they are being assisted by outside forces that work to ensure their love has a future. There are always people left in the world who are rooting for Wangxian because they’re the good gays guys!
We are well aware of how deeply and madly Wei Ying loves Lan Zhan, but it is startling all the same that even when he is in physical agony, what infuriates him to the point of madness is the news of Lan Zhan being hurt and his home being burnt down. Wei Ying is also more than willing to endure his pain a while longer if it means Lan Zhan has a shot at getting better.
Wangxian at any given point of time are ready to sacrifice themselves for the other and wage a war against the entire world for wronging the love of their life. That’s what makes these soulmates more unique than most, if not all lovers in fiction. Throughout the story, their romance is subjected to a billion tests and every choice they make is bound to make the viewers cry and highlight the unfairness of the impossible stakes they go through to be with each other. This is no ordinary romance, and that’s why it is all the more fantastic they are able to survive these unthinkable odds and come out shining in the end.
Lan Zhan’s concern and affection for Wei Ying is so open that it bleeds all over our screens. It’s like he looks at the rest of the world with aloof objectivity but the minute his lover comes into his sight, his eyes can bloom only warmth and emotion. Even the vision that touches Wei Ying from afar should be gentle and reverent, fit for holding in sight something precious beyond measure. This can be said about the both of them.
It is when NHS mentions their halcyon days at Cloud Recesses that we realize how their lives have changed irreversibly. Both Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are visibly sadder, like they’re wishing to return to simpler times when courting Lan Zhan was the biggest problem in Wei Ying’s life and fighting his feelings for Wei Ying was Lan Zhan’s. They’ve grown closer since then but the impediments on their road have also grown bigger.
Wei Ying Asks Jiang Cheng To Stay Out Of His Love Life
Lan Zhan keeps walking like #conceal don’t feel but the sad version of WuJi reveals all.
Wei Ying has been growing tired of Jiang Cheng trying to dictate what he should and should not feel or do about things that do not concern him and he rightfully puts him in his place in this scene. Jiang Cheng tells Wei Ying to not choose “someone else” as “we” already have a lot to deal with. He implies Wei Ying shouldn’t help Lan Zhan because he isn’t family and is clearly underplaying his injury despite Wei Ying emphasising its urgency. And Wei Ying is so done with putting up with that kind of negative energy in his love life.
He is quick to silence anyone who thinks they can hold him back from his heart or overstep the boundaries of his relationship with Lan Zhan. And his logic is very sound, for who on earth is capable of stopping Wei Ying from helping him? Not even Lan Zhan!
Wei Ying breaks free of Jiang Cheng's grip and leaves in Lan Zhan's direction after patronizingly patting his arm. And that is his answer. To him, Lan Zhan isn’t just another person and there is certainly no choice he has to make when it comes to him. It will always be Lan Zhan who is his foremost priority and the rest of the world has to simply get used to being left behind.
We see that he knows Lan Zhan would never ask for help but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t need it. His soulmate will hence always offer it, and if rejected, simply throw him on his back and continue while Lan Zhan informs him once again of how “boring” it is. He doesn’t get to do that, but his sentiment is romantic enough to stay in Lan Zhan’s memory for sixteen years and become an action he boldly reciprocates when Wei Ying comes back.
Wangxian’s Love Story is Truly “Epic”
Episodes 11 and 12 trace the beginnings of the turmoil that will forge Wangxian’s path (and make us weep). Every romance starts from the idyllic state of undisturbed happiness but it seldom remains there through the whole story. And let’s be honest, calamities bring emotional depth and complexity to a plot, exposing that our favorite characters are human, flawed and a lot closer to reality than we imagined. Both the heroes stay loyal to their core values, with the conviction to be fearless in the face of unforeseen adversities in life and love.
And we hope like the hopeless romantics who are in love with the greatest love story ever told, that maybe all the tragedies that are about to befall Wei Ying and Lan Zhan won’t matter one day because their happy ending will heal all wounds. Obstacles will continue to strew our heroes apart and push them towards the other on a loop, but Wangxian are like magnets destined to snap back together. They will ascend beyond the stratosphere of romance, straight to the heavens, because their love’s greatest virtue is that they have each other and know each other more than any two people ever did in all of history. They are devoted to the other unconditionally in soul, mind and body.
It’s just that our idiot-soulmates take the long way round to realize that their own joint force is capable of annihilating and birthing entire universes, and nothing that ever dared to stand on their path ever stood a chance. And when they do realize that their love is an infinite, impossible force that can bend the laws of nature and be a harbinger of greatness to a world that is doomed to fail, their story is exalted to an epic that doubles as a romance, effectively displacing all the bland, straight examples of love that have infiltrated our past and perpetuated heteronormativity. Because it boasts a love that all of humankind should vie to fashion their lives after and is a true sight to behold - a sight we will rewatch for as long as we live, and bequeath to posterity so they can grow up looking up to Wangxian. Because their love story is the big budget live action fantasy that queer people have been deprived of for so long and is now here to tell us : You should dare to love because it will become your greatest strength. Just like it became Wei Ying and Lan Zhan’s.
Wei Ying’s first instinct is to go back to Cloud Recesses after Wen Chao warned him his brother has gone there. Jiang Cheng has to remind him that the state of Lotus Pier could be much worse.
Wen Chao calls him “Lan Zhan” here and I generally get “homophobic villain here to torment the love birds” vibes from him. Wangxian’s relationship is so obvious to Wen Chao that he can even guess where Lan Zhan got the talisman from.
The curious thing is Wei Ying used this talisman to break the barrier and enter Cloud Recesses the very first night, but we never actually saw him give it to Lan Zhan or show him how to make one. So could it be that Lan Zhan just remembered it because he remembers everything about Wei Ying? It’s a nice detail and in a way, Wei Ying is able to protect him even when they’re apart. Lan Zhan also keeps this talisman in his possession through the years and uses it in the future when Wen Ning is being bullied on the streets.
Wei Ying has sent letters to Lan Zhan on the way back to Lotus Pier and didn’t hear back from him. He’s worried something went awfully wrong at Cloud Recesses. Why is it that the moment our heroes get separated, everything starts to go downhill? I’m only half-kidding when I say the universe is like a Wangxian shipper who goes berserk whenever they’re not together but it’s almost like their combined existence is pivotal in maintaining the equilibrium of their world.
We Do Not Deserve Lan Zhan
We love to see Wei Ying’s boyfriend being a BAMF!
It would’ve been easy for any man less than Lan Zhan to hide inside the cave. But Lan Zhan recalls Lan Yi’s words, which happen to be the same words that he shared with Wei Ying when they made their wish. Su She and the world do not deserve the sacrifice Lan Zhan makes in this moment. And it is hard for us to see him go through the vicissitude of gaining control over Cloud Recesses only to lose it the next instant.
The Yin Iron has now fallen into the hands of the very evil he swore to eliminate, most of his home has been burnt down, his clan members have died and his brother is in hiding. Needless to say, it is a breaking point for him that pushes him to grieve beyond words.
It is interesting how the Jiang clan’s motto is “To attempt the impossible. Do nothing until you do something.” This is precisely what Wei Ying’s journey is about, something even Jiang Cheng fails to do in the face of outright evil.
Wangxian’s Reunion Becomes The Touchstone Of Romance
Wei Ying can feel something is wrong even when Jiang Cheng tries to convince him it’s a good thing Lan Zhan isn’t here in Qishan.
There are many moments in the show where Wangxian’s meeting feels like the world is shrinking in on itself to let these lovers exist outside the confines of space and time, and this is one such moment. Wei Ying has eyes only for Lan Zhan and the camera breathtakingly gives us a glimpse of what Wei Ying sees when he turns around. Perhaps he even hears this music in his head when he sees Lan Zhan for the first time in a long time, it’s definitely within the realm of possibility for someone so whipped.
Everyone sees Lan Zhan through different perspectives : Wen Chao sees the adversary he wants gone, Jiang Cheng sees the infallible Lan Wangji who he believes would’ve saved the Yin Iron, Nie Huaisang and Jin Zixuan see the monolithic Second Childe Lan arrive without his clan members. But Wei Ying sees his Lan Zhan walk up to him and time slows down for him. There is open relief mixed with disbelief, and a longing to be close to him - he didn’t know that he’d see him here and yet here he is. Sauntering in like the romantic hero Wei Ying thinks him to be, the sea of people parting for him, and no trace of the man who lost his home in a battle, lost the Yin Iron he promised to preserve and is here because he chose to surrender himself. But he also knows him better than anyone else and that is why he can sense something went abysmally amiss at Cloud Recesses after just one look at Lan Zhan.
He knows Lan Zhan isn’t “fine” like Jiang Cheng claims he is. Wei Ying moves towards him with the primordial instinct to protect the love of his life, calling his name many times, and the worry is transparent on his face : He wants to be there for him and comfort him, enemy territory and intrusive eyes or ears be damned. Love after all takes no heed of time or place, bows before no law or reason. He is all feelings, springing to personally ensure Lan Zhan is okay, needing to know what has happened. Jiang Cheng yanks him back and tells him that maybe the Yin Iron is safe but Wei Ying’s obvious concern reveals his true priority. Who is thinking about that right now? Lan Zhan is in distress and I need him to tell me what’s wrong.
These scenes truly challenge the heteronormativity in an uninitiated viewer. If Wangxian were a straight couple and one person entered the scene with the majesty and flourish Lan Zhan did, while the other person had eyes only for them, everyone would be an incoherent mess because of their reunion. They would be swept off their asses into oblivion and need no further explanation to know these are the two people around whom the central romance is being built.
I’m pretty sure if you showed this scene to people who haven’t seen the show and have zero context to it, some of them are going to think the groom is making his way to the other groom in this shot. (Trust me, I tried!)
Going to draw a heart over Wangxian to keep track of every time the camera shows someone third wheeling them from now on.
Wei Ying uses his Binding/Bonding talisman on Xue Yang to show Lan Zhan it’s a dynamic tool that doesn’t deserve to be named “Boring”. Even though there’s a serial killer on the loose, Lan Zhan’s opinions on his inventions matter a lot to him. Standard Wei Ying stuff.
Wangxian’s Mirrors
At this point of the show, I could not believe there was a couple who directly mirrored Wangxian. And surprise! They were two men who dressed in black and white and came together for their common vision exactly like Wangxian did. Wei Ying cannot help but connect the dots and Lan Zhan is already aware of their eminence.
Xue Yang Fancies The Yiling Laozu
Xue Yang’s introduction makes the story take a darker turn but also a gayer one. The homoerotic subtext between him and Wei Ying literally jumps out of the screen.
(This episode had a lot of moments that were just begging for alternate dialogues to be written. I just wanted to have fun with the subtext that’s already present.)
Wei Ying doesn’t want Lan Zhan to waste his precious breath interrogating the bad guy. He protectively steps up (something he does quite a lot) and puts some distance between the both of them.
But he wants Lan Zhan to hold his sword while he does that.. and if that act wasn’t necessarily considered to be intimate or romantic before, it just became that after Lan Zhan refused to do it in front of everyone.
Wei Ying has uttered many conspicuously gay things on the show but most of them are with reference to Lan Zhan. Therefore, this is possibly the gayest dialogue he has ever said in a strictly non-Lan Zhan context.
His tone is all, “Honey, you've been existing for 5 minutes, I'm the queerest person the cultivation world has seen in a millennium. You think frisking a guy is going to make me feel scandalized?” This is nuts to me because Xue Yang is arguably the most blatantly coded gay character on the show.. and here is Wei Ying all but saying he can outgay him. That he shouldn’t come after his job. And Lan Zhan just looks like..
It is curious how Lan Zhan says no to something that would require Wei Ying to go near Xue Yang again.
We get it, Lan Zhan. It was hard to see your guy giving attention to someone who wasn’t you.
When Lan Zhan is unsure what's happening back home, the first person his eyes seek is Wei Ying, his source of strength and reassurance.
SongXiao Help WangXian Fall Deeper In Love
Wei Ying is euphoric to meet another pair of Soulmates™. (The same kind of glee that queer people feel when they meet a celebrity queer couple.) His relationship with Lan Zhan just gained supreme validation and a boost to the power of infinity!
He sees everything he has with Lan Zhan reflected in SongXiao’s relationship. He admires them and is delighted that people like them who aren’t concerned with clan drama can walk the wider path of justice, and also lead successful, honourable lives. He looks to Lan Zhan for confirmation but Lan Zhan doesn’t seem too eager to publicize the super sweet promise they made at the lantern ceremony or the fact that he’s been secretly enjoying Wei Ying’s companionship on this expedition. And let’s be honest, it would’ve been more shocking if Lan Zhan did confirm any of that here.
Cheer up, Wei Ying! Lan Zhan will get plenty more opportunities to prove his love for you and he'll ace every single one of them.
No one asked for this but thank you NHS for declaring your ideal type is beautiful gentlemen who fight crime together and unapologetically go their own way.
The parallels between the two pairs write themselves. More importantly, it is while watching SongXiao leave together that Lan Zhan stumbles onto an epiphany.
This is such an underrated moment in the show. The sorrowful music and slow-motion shot of Lan Zhan looking at Wei Ying with vulnerability all over his face once again drives it home that Wei Ying is The One for him, and he is his. He was already getting tired of denying that Wei Ying is his soulmate in every sense there is, and he feels his pain and sadness in this moment. It is enough for Jiang Cheng to feel sorry for him and move on but not for Lan Zhan who feels all that his soulmate feels.
It is overwhelming and brand new information to Lan Zhan himself that he can feel it because Wei Ying is not in impending danger right now, so this need he feels to protect him and be there for him can only mean that he loves him beyond the shadow of a doubt. Wei Ying seems upset thinking about his mother and Lan Zhan gets it, without Wei Ying having uttered a word the whole time. His face shows a kind of defeat in this scene; he surrenders to everything he has known and felt for some time now : He's in love with Wei Ying and would tear down the universe without a second thought if it means it would rid him of his unhappiness. And he isn't able to do that in this moment. But thanks to Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen, he’s found comfort in the truth they have each other at the end of the day, even if they have nothing left in this world. He cannot give back to Wei Ying what he has lost but he can accompany him in his sadness, and it will have to be enough. And it is, because Wei Ying can overcome just about everything as long as Lan Zhan walks by his side.
Wei Ying Says Lan Clan Deserves Rights
Wei Ying has many nice things to say about the Lan clan who he found exhausting a few months ago. Love brings about miraculous changes in a person, y’all.
Wei Ying gravitates towards Lan Zhan as if it's second nature to him and it really is.
Jiang Cheng spends a lot of time trying to get Wei Ying to spill the Top Secrets about the Yin Iron and Wei Ying is like, "Sorry, I’m bound by the Soulmate laws to tell you absolutely nothing."
Wei Ying is already embracing the idea of controlling the Yin Iron and people are rightfully getting offended by his suggestion.
What did you expect, Wei Ying? Not everyone is your lifetime confidant to give you the benefit of the doubt and reciprocate it with compassion, trust and open-mindedness.
Wangxian’s Temporary Separation
What was that, Wei Ying? Did we hear you admit that the Gusu Lan roof is softer than the one in Qinghe? Could this have anything to do with a certain law enforcer in Cloud Recesses you fell in love with at first sword fight?
There is a delicate, bittersweet air to this separation, and even the casual watcher is going to be wondering, “When did I get so invested in Wangxian that WuJi makes me want to cry?”
It's cute how Lan Zhan is like, “Okay, I’ve seen the love of my life for one last time, I’ll quietly take my leave so he doesn’t know I was waiting for him to come back.”
Turns out, "I'll sleep on your roof tonight," is one of the most romantic things we could tell the person we love. Isn't it brilliant that just few seconds ago Wei Ying had said he will take whatever ground he finds as his home for the night, and how utterly beautiful is it to have followed it up with this dialogue? “Lan Zhan, I'll sleep on your roof tonight.” Because the world is big but my home is wherever you are. That’s where I’m happiest, I'll sleep on this rugged roof and walk through thorns if it means I get to be by your side. I won't mind it at all. And how unbelievably romantic is it that Wei Ying makes a philosophical statement about life, which ends up being about Lan Zhan?
Lan Zhan hears the implications in his voice. And he openly yearns to stay behind a little longer and commit to his memory what Wei Ying looks like when he is drunkenly proclaiming his love for him under the moonlight. It is pleasantly surprising that Lan Zhan is willing to express his emotions when he knows he is safe from Wei Ying hearing them, that he doesn't mind telling him goodbye when he thinks Wei Ying won't remember it.
But the audience can hear his voice and we are going to remember it. How, "Wei Ying, I have to go," is uttered in a cadence so sweet we did not know Lan Zhan was capable of before this. And the choice of words do not simply mean that he’s going to leave, but that he has to, and most certainly not because he wants to. And how it really means, “I’m worried about everything, but especially you, and I'm sorry I have to go. I have to trust that we'll both be okay on this path. Please know that I don't wish to leave you, and forgive me for it. Wei Ying, I love you."
Even their temporary separation hurts so good. If they were meant to be best buddies, this scene wouldn't have been shot so poignantly. But we got used to seeing them together and every frame is designed to dig deeper into your heart and instil the fact that these soulmates are parting, and we don’t know when they’ll see each other again. This is the melancholy of a man who does not wish to be away from his lover but is forced to for the sake of the greater good. Anyone can see that.
The rooftop and moonlit night come as a callback to their first meeting, only Lan Zhan no longer wants to point the tip of his sword at Wei Ying, it gives him far greater satisfaction to place Wei Ying behind his sword.
I haven’t counted the number of times people acknowledge Wangxian’s relationship and/or know that they are inseparable, but it’s safe to say almost every character does that at some point. And some even know how to exploit their weakness, that in order to hurt one of them, the surefire way is to simply aim for the other like Wen Chao does here.
To summarize, Episode 10 saw Lan Zhan showing us his true colors : When he isn’t occupied with being the esteemed, intimidating Lan Wangji, he’s busy being a regular, sweet, romantic guy in love. And Wei Ying did that. He single-handedly exposes the soft side of Lan Zhan that nobody sees to the audience now and the world later on.
This episode also gave us this : Two soulmates chilling shoulder to shoulder zero feet apart because they’re falling in love.
Lan Zhan remembers what Wei Ying had mentioned about the puppets the first night at Cloud Recesses showing he remembers quite a lot about him, he just doesn’t let on.
NHS is a big mood in this scene, an absolutely useless gay depending on two warrior gays to save his life. But he’s hindering their flawless team work so Lan Zhan uses the silencing spell on him.
This dialogue is so uncalled for and delivered in a way that makes you think Wei Ying just wants to see Lan Zhan have an outburst, kick back and admire how hot that is.
Wei Ying’s “you can go ahead and blame me for everything that is wrong with this world but my man has done nothing wrong in his life ever” smile.
You didn’t have to expose him like that but thank you, Jiang Cheng.
Wei Ying’s “sorry I accidentally did a hetero thing, let us please not remember this for the sake of my clean conscience” smile.
Yet Another Plot Device To Show Off Wangxian’s Chemistry
The Dire Owl subplot is one of the dreamiest scenes on the show and a fight sequence that proves Wangxian own the patent for words like soulmates, symmetry, equilibrium, balance, yin and yang, mirrors and their derivatives.
Here’s something that’s bothered me : Wei Ying calls for Lan Zhan twice and he doesn’t answer him the first time even though he looks searchingly in his direction. It is only when they knock into each other the second time that he explains the fog is a hallucination caused by the Dire Owl. (But of course Lan Zhan doesn’t need to answer him, the red string of fate will inevitably help them find the other.)
Clear-headed as he is, did he for a second believe that the Dire Owl was making him hallucinate Wei Ying’s voice the first time, and is that why he ignored him? Because Lan Zhan’s mind could be the spotless sea of tranquillity it is, but Wei Ying has now become the shrillest thought that breaks through and demands his attention. He doesn’t respond though, so he must have been sure Wei Ying is safe.
For Lan Zhan, Wei Ying will do even the impossible. He’ll try his best to seal off all his senses and mute his head that’s forever brimming with thoughts.
Ok, pause. I cried when I watched this for the first time and let me tell you why. The implications of this fight scene are astounding. We all know Wangxian are soulmates who can confront anything together but did we know that they could feel and find their way to each other even when their senses are completely shut? I mean, how attuned to someone’s existence do you have to be to achieve that? They are hyper focusing on nothing but the Dire Owl and yet moving perfectly with eyes closed in an outrageously impressive synchrony. They can feel the other’s presence and have utmost trust in each other to shield their direction. They move as if they’ve spent infinite lifetimes by the other’s side mastering this skill; they leap, spin and swerve like they think with the same mind. The way they fit together is to die for, nearly impossible and the legendary stuff from stories that we all wish we could have with someone in this existence. If I was whatever that stood in Wangxian’s way, I’d be terrified and call it a day. They are not just soulmates, they are The Original Formidable Soulmates™.
Wangxian Are Here To Kick Queerbaiters In The Ass
This fantastic display of battle prowess by the two heroes fighting back-to-back is one of the many things that convinced me The Untamed is not like the other stories out there. Simply because every stop of their journey is too romantic and the others don’t come close enough. It is an injustice to compare or group their relationship with the ‘dude bro, no homo’ chemistry that bromances usually sell. Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are two people who are so passionately devoted to and absolutely belong with each other, they are soulmates not just in the minds of the audience or because the creators were afraid to make them something more, but soulmates by their own admission. There are other factors that strengthen their already supergay case like the absence of a female love interest in their lives and their flirty interactions being genuinely adorable as heck, as opposed to just isolated instances of b(romance). And it really, really, helps our case that the novel is canonically gay but it is also remarkable that a show that’s teeming with gay subtext can exist at all and go on to become one that is widely embraced by everyone, casual watchers and shippers alike.
Lan Zhan and Wei Ying's chemistry gives all the Western superheroes a run for their money. We no longer have to wonder what it looks like when two queer heroes who are in love get to kick ass together. See, this is what happens when you have the guts to invest in a gay romance. This show looked censorship in the eye and said gay rights anyway. (I’m going to digress from this show for a sec and just plainly weep for all the queer pairings on mainstream media that we shipped but couldn’t see the light of day because of the homophobic people behind them. It is great that the truth still lives in our hearts and the millions of words on ao3. But life feels a lot sweeter to know with certainty that our heroes are in love this time and celebrate the fact that the people who made this show knew and honoured that very well, that they honoured the audience. In my eyes, CQL is the unparalleled forefather of gay romance from now on. Because reading these epic queer stories is one thing but watching Wangxian’s story unfold along with the entire world means believing in the power of gay love. And seeing our favorite heroes in action makes the characters we look up to so much more real.)
Lan Zhan comes flying like the Prince Charming he is to break the shackles of heteronormativity trying to kill his soulmate! Hell yeah, king! Save us from that straight trope that’s been choking us since time immemorial.
We did not just see Wei Ying pretend to be dead so he can outsmart the bird and simultaneously get Lan Zhan to save him just because he likes that sort of thing. Nope, totally didn’t happen.
Oh, hello Ah Yuan! Details like this prove the show is well worth multiple rewatches.
There is nothing more uniquely Wangxian than the million thoughts they share with each other through mere glances, the frequency of which steadily increases. Who knew you could speak with zero articulation? Not having a soulmate sure sucks for the rest of us mortals. I doubt the audience can truly grasp the depth of their communication but I’m pretty sure it goes like this most of the time.
Wei Ying teasing Lan Zhan that the Goddess Statue tried to kill him because she had a crush on him is all kinds of hilarious. Lan Zhan looks somewhere in between “Wei Ying, we’re talking about the fate of the universe, stop being gay for 2 seconds please,” and "STFU, just because I can find my way to you blind doesn't mean I will hesitate to Silence you again."
Wei Ying Is Crumbling All Of Lan Zhan’s Walls
Most people maintain their distance from Hanguang-Jun, the Noblest Of Them All, he whose robes command respect and inspire fear. There is hence something very sweetly domestic about Wei Ying latching on to his silk tassel while subtext-whining, "Where are you going Lan Zhan, I refuse to live without you", and "Ugh Lan Zhan, you're so lost without me, ok fine, I'll help you.” It’s like he granted himself the lifetime entitlement of being Lan Zhan’s nuisance-companion the night they met, and thank goodness for that because Lan Zhan wasn’t going to let anyone into his life. Wei Ying is the exception who managed to charm his way into his heart and dissolve his barriers.
Notice Wei Ying even turns down free alcohol for Lan Zhan. And the sheer undisguised panic on his face that Lan Zhan is going to leave him alone after all the bonding activities he made sure they went through is endearing comedy at its peak.
We see Lan Zhan no longer believes resolutely in His Ways and lets Wei Ying persuade him to believe there is a better one. This is a great 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 for them because they’re communicating.
Lan Zhan doesn’t fight him anymore, period.
The Yin Iron starts acting up and Wei Ying is immediately there for Lan Zhan, gently grounding him. He can feel the horror and pain Lan Zhan has seen in the vision because of course he can. But does Lan Zhan see how much Wei Ying loves him and hurts for him? He has to. In moments like this, Wei Ying’s presence shows how wrong Lan Zhan is in wanting to do everything alone. We all need a friend in life. And it was destiny that led them to each other because their lives would’ve evidently been a lot lonelier without the other in it.
Episode 9 shows Lan Zhan warming up to Wei Ying some more : he has stopped being antagonistic altogether, lets Wei Ying pull him around, freely accepts his help, shares many glances with him and is ready to blast anything that lays a finger on Wei Ying sky high. (Of course we see that Wei Ying exaggerates needing his help most of the time. He plays the “I’m a frail man desperately in need of Hanguang-Jun’s protection” card because swooning into the arms of his lover is one of his favorite things. And not even Lan Zhan calls him out for it. They’re just so whipped for each other.)
Wei Ying gives Jiang Cheng a rabbit and cancels toxic masculinity like, "As an upright gentleman, you are required to shut the hell up and pet these cute bunnies that remind me of Lan Zhan."
Lan Zhan, Why Are You Like This
Lan Zhan being all, “Yes, we had a sweet moment on the cliff but no I will not let you accompany me on this perilous journey,” but Wei Ying follows him anyway like, “You know we swore to ride and die together, right? Team work is an asset, not a liability!”
Wei Ying formulates fun ideas in the hopes to make his bae crack a smile and stop calling his romantic advances boring. (Don’t worry Wei Ying, we think you’re very adorable for believing you actually need a talisman to keep you both connected.)
This whole scene where Wei Ying is forcefully pulling Lan Zhan towards him and wondering if he should name the talisman Binding or Bonding is just kind of.. gay? Whether you think it’s cute or suggestive, it’s just 𝓰𝓪𝔂. And the third name for the talisman he was about to say and did not? Also probably g͓̽a͓̽y͓̽.
But why did Lan Zhan leave him behind? It isn’t hard to understand it’s easier to undertake the journey alone and also keep Wei Ying out of harm’s way. If he did not want Wei Ying to tag along, he makes no indication of it whatsoever. He just lets Wei Ying do whatever he wants, pretends to be Bored by his antics and as soon as things start going south, he is more than willing to share the quest with him and is obviously glad to have his partner by his side. These are telling signs of a man who wants to protect his beloved but also feels relieved when he’s by his side. (Makes you think Lan Zhan trusted him as The One who has his back long before he realized he’s also The One for whom he would flout the law and buy Emperor’s Smile.) And this is progress, y’all! He’s not fighting him anymore and they’re going to fight together!
Lan Zhan Has One (1) Fear
Hanguang-Jun, The Bearer of Light, who is feared and respected by the devil itself, is startled by his soulmate sneaking up on him in a demon mask. Wei Ying sure knows how to press all his right buttons, doesn’t he?
Lan Zhan looks like he’s thinking, “Putting up with Wei Ying’s devious gay ass is hard enough, why did his gay friend have to come along?” (But NHS admires you, Lan Zhan! And it’s ok to admit you like having Wei Ying to yourself.)
Wei Ying is confident of where they stand now. It’s because he is fluent in Lan Zhan’s love language and knows that underneath his supposed exasperation, he’s actually starting to like him.
Who knew the unflinching Lan Wangji could be nervous at the prospect of entering a crowd? Wei Ying makes him do unimaginable things he’s never done before like being in close proximity with all these people. I particularly adore the lilt in Wei Ying’s voice when he assures him as if to say, “It’s ok Lan Zhan, you have nothing to fear! I’ll protect you from them.” It’s that familiarity, ease and affinity with which they defend the other every chance they get, that says soulmates. And thanks to the magical BGM that plays when Wei Ying takes his hand.
“God help me..”
NHS notices something strange and Wei Ying is concerned it could be something that spells their imminent doom, but it’s only NHS getting lost in Lan Wangji’s beauty. I think simply letting Wei Ying deliver this dialogue (instead of having him agree with NHS like they did) would’ve been a red flag.
Wei Ying takes a break from an important mission to admire his Lan Zhan’s enchantingly good looks captured by the magical movie moment of petals raining down on him. (Wei Ying, you better hide your heart eyes or some censor official out there is going to have a heart attack followed by a gay awakening.)
Wei Ying appreciates NHS being his sidekick, but the moment he becomes an annoying third wheel who sidelines his relationship with Lan Zhan, it’s on sight for him.
Lan Zhan always listens to and values Wei Ying’s cultivator instincts; he knows Wei Ying’s bad feelings like the back of his hand.
Hey Angry Lady, You Have To Devour Both Our Souls Or Die Trying!
The Dancing Goddess subplot is basically Lan Zhan and Wei Ying trying to lure her to them so she doesn't try to kill the other person. In love much, Wangxian? (I tested fake subs on this scene because this is totally what happened.)
Dancing Goddess tries to attack Lan Zhan first but Wei Ying grabs her hand like, "Nice try but we’re a soulmate package deal!" He didn’t think that through though because she drops him on his ass and goes for Lan Zhan again.
And then the actual dialogues that mean pretty much the same thing..
Glad to know that on Wei Ying’s list of priorities, teasing the love of his life weighs the same as defeating the Angry Goddess Statue that’s hellbent on consuming their souls.
Wangxian are the epitome of team work and it is always a delight to see that all their problems are conquered when they work together.
Lan Zhan and Wei Ying keeping homophobia at bay with their bare homo hands.
Yet another episode goes by showing that the steady progression of their relationship has been painstakingly crafted, and the entire show is rife with little moments pulling them closer and closer. It makes us wonder how much of this romance will we get to actually see? How close can they possibly get without pissing off a good chunk of the country while also respecting the part of the audience that is dying in want for them to be together? Fear not because wherever there is trouble, Wangxian are also there with a thousand talismans forged from their love to rip a hole through the homophobic censors and land on our screens in gay colors and meanings that scream the truth louder than bombs.
Lan Zhan, if this scene foreshadows anything, it’s that he’s certainly going to become a part of your domestic affair.
There is something powerful about the first and only female Lan clan leader giving them her blessing and saying it was destiny that they found their way to her just as she’s about to fade into oblivion. Wangxian are the archetypal Chosen Ones who have been entrusted with keeping the Yin Iron safe. And if this was yet another straight adventure story that delivers poetic justice, we would expect it to conclude with these two people ending up together - and that’s what The Untamed does in a roundabout way with our heroes.
Nothing to see here. Just two guys tripping over each other because the sacred string of fate pulled them towards each other.
Lan Zhan, I’ll Be Your Secret Keeper!
This episode is full of instances where Wei Ying refuses to tell other characters what really happened in the cave, then turns around to look at Lan Zhan with a proud look that screams, “I’m so good at keeping secrets, aren’t I? We are soulmates! Come on, validate me, Lan Zhan!”
The expression on Lan Qiren’s face when Wei Ying calls Lan Zhan his confidant/soulmate. No words are needed.
The Yin Iron Secret™ is obviously bringing them closer and they begin to share loaded glances that convey everything they wish to say without actually having to. Thus begins the process of everyone third wheeling Wangxian.
Jiang Cheng thinks Wei Ying should move into the Cloud Recesses since he’s hanging out with Lan Zhan all the time. Lan Zhan hears that and appears to be a tad bit disappointed Wei Ying might never actually do that since their lifestyles are leagues apart. It’s tough being Wei Wuxian sometimes.
The Lantern That Started Everything
We are here, folks! The moment that started it all, the scene that defined Wangxian’s story. Once again, Wangxian are framed in contrast with the two straight couples.
Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are standing together and look at each other while making their wish, just like Yanli x Jin Zixuan, and Jiang Cheng x Wen Qing.
Lan Zhan says he is used to doing it alone and Wei Ying comments old habits can be changed, which just points to the latter’s impact on the former’s life.
Wei Ying has another accomplishment to cross off his list : Finally made Lan Zhan smile today!
Mian Mian asks Yanli why she didn’t make the lantern together with Jin Zixuan, as praying together is a custom followed by couples that are to be married. And that tells you everything you need to know about Lan Zhan and Wei Ying’s relationship.
The first of many times that Lan Zhan rushes in to hold Wei Ying back.
Lan Zhan for a second believed Wei Ying finally learnt his lessons and crossed over to the lawful good side.. but come on, you love him precisely because he would never do that. And those ants are cute.
Jiang Fengmian proposes to cancel the troth between the clans to marry Yanli and Jin Zixuan. It is worth mentioning that Jiang clan’s approach to marriage is to never force their kids into a lifelong relationship they are not sure they want as they believe in “following one’s nature”. When even straight relationships are progressive and value happiness above all else, what is to stop the show from selling us a central gay romance that ends happily? Absolutely nothing.
We’ve now seen both the protagonists reject the romantic idea of spending their life with a woman.
Missing Lan Zhan Hours Now Open
Wei Ying pouting like.. What do you mean we have to leave already? Lan Zhan literally just started acknowledging me as his soulmate.
Oh no, Lan Zhan.. Why aren’t you including your soulmate on the super secret plan™?!
Wei Ying’s reason for wanting to say goodbye to only Lan Zhan out of all the disciples is, “Why can’t I admire his talents? You’re all losers who can’t fight me and he is my Match (Made In Heaven), I desire for an equivalence (and a meaningful union between souls.)”
The camera moves from the Yunmeng siblings squabbling to Lan Zhan observing them from a distance. Zewu Jun joins him and comments that after Wei Ying’s departure, Yun Shen will be silent once more. Lan Zhan’s face falls a little, understandably because he was getting more than used to Wei Ying’s chaotic presence in his life.
Zewu Jun is worried if Lan Zhan will be alright on his journey alone and raises the idea if he should tell Wei Ying about his quest. But Lan Zhan, our beloved idiot, still needs that extra push to come to terms with his feelings and realize Wei Ying will instantly drop everything for a lifetime by his side if he were to only say the word.
Rabbits Symbolise The Chinese Gay God
Even before the fandom taught me that the Chinese god of homosexuality is literally The Rabbit God, so the inclusion of rabbits is gloriously queer subtext, I could gather that they symbolised Wangxian’s feelings for each other. They both talk to the rabbits when the other is not there, Wei Ying paints a rabbit lantern for them to wish together, Lan Zhan raised Ah Yuan among these rabbits because they reminded him of Wei Ying and after 16 years, Lan Zhan drunkenly admits he likes rabbits (the equivalent of saying he’s always liked Wei Ying), they buy the rabbit lantern together and finally come back to find these rabbits in Cloud Recesses. The rabbits are a part of the Wangxian family.
The reappearance of the rabbits when Lan Zhan and Wei Ying’s dynamics have changed 16 years later is very telling. Their relationship by then has survived death and the miraculous return from death; it’s gone through the whole cycle of the promise of love, the pain of loss, the joy of redemption. The rabbits bring their life full circle to denote the certainty and comfort in the fact that they have each other after the trials and tribulations their romance has withstood. Wei Ying even says he isn’t scared of what happens anymore in that scene. There is nothing that can separate our heroes after this, they just have to brave whatever comes together.
And then there’s this promo picture and scene from a later episode where two rabbits are kissing.
This is how The Untamed screamed gay rights : “We’re not saying the heroes are gay, but the Yunshen rabbits are definitely gay and no one can do anything about it!” Only, the rabbits are such a huge part of this love story.
Wangxian’s Promise of Love and Honor
When they make the wish together, Lan Zhan looks at Wei Ying with a kind of awe and reverence like, how did I not recognize him from the moment we met? He eyes the pouch containing the Yin metal and realizes they are both more alike than he thought, that this guy is possibly and most definitely his soulmate. This is an important stage in their relationship.
When he hears Wei Ying wish that he wants to eliminate evil and protect the weak in exchange for a life without anything weighing down their hearts - I think it is at this point he begins to see him as more of a life partner with whom he can share everything, than just a friend. Because Wei Ying’s impact on Lan Zhan’s life is so profound it alters his being, tilts his axis and expands his perspective. Wei Ying brought with him a free-spirited, flexible measurement of morality and an ardent quest for truth that no 3000 rules of the Lan clan had ever laid down. He realizes the rules he grew up on are right but Wei Ying, with all his moral complexity, can also be right. Wei Ying’s companionship introduced Lan Zhan to a fluid perception of right and wrong that he found perfectly acceptable. This shows Lan Zhan and Wei Ying belong to the new generation that is here to reform the broken system built by their ancestors. In this moment, by choosing to view him as his unequivocal soulmate, by acknowledging their paths are to be forever intertwined, Lan Zhan liberates his mind from the monochromatic perception of life he was brought up on. By making this wish together, Lan Zhan trusts Wei Ying to always do the right thing from now on and trusts the both of them to lead a life that they are proud of.
He doesn’t know right now that staying committed to this wish is going to demand everything from them in the future, but he does know that Wei Ying is the greatest person he has ever met and the first one who is so compatible with him. And that is a revelation to Lan Zhan because there are easily a million things that set them apart. All the same, he sees his own core values reflected in his soulmate. He decides it couldn’t be the worst thing in this world to stand by Wei Ying’s side especially when he’s doing the most honorable thing they both know to be true. This common ground means something to Lan Zhan, even if we don’t hear him admit that. Because here is Wei Ying telling him he doesn’t need to be alone anymore even though he’s used to it. That he doesn’t have to go through any of it alone as long as he is there: fight for justice, vanquish evil, or even simply go through everyday life. Lan Zhan’s face in this scene is understandably the face of a man who is falling in love.
The promise they make to each other on this cliff was in a way, a promise to follow their own path that ended up operating above the constraints of and reinvented the cultivation world’s jurisdiction. There are going to be many forces trying to convince them it's not the right way, but the path they share, which is both the literal path of justice and their love for each other (they are synonymous, after all) is the one they courageously forge and painfully commit to when their world is unable to go on existing with the faulty principles it was founded on. That is why their romance survives every obstacle in the end. It is founded on a love that runs so deep it recognizes and respects the other in the many lifetimes spent serving their just cause. Their love, and the extents it goes to in order to thrive, is the answer to all the troubles that ail their world. And it all began with this lantern.
This is why The Untamed is the gay drama and Wangxian are the gay warriors the universe has been waiting for. It staged gay romance in a realm ruled by gentry and the supernatural, giving us equal parts of gore as there is swashbuckling, gut-wrenching drama. Literally never been done before.
In conclusion, Episode 7 deepens the bond between our heroes and sets up the main struggle in their romance as we wait to see what will become of the wish they made together. But one thing is clear : They are bound together forever, not just by their love for each other but also by their common cause. That is why the road they walk on can never be different. It will forever be the single plank road they will always find their way back to.
Isn’t it funny they’re talking about girls and yet what Jiang Cheng says holds true for Wei Ying? He did meet his life partner while trying to sneak Emperor’s Smile into the Cloud Recesses!
Wei Ying has been trying to talk to Lan Zhan for many weeks now and is so close to kidnapping him just to have a conversation with him.
Ancient Chinese romantic ritual where you gently tug your bro’s sleeve twice to convince him to drink with you.
Is it gay to charm your bro into getting drunk with you and end up spending the night together in the same room? Asking for a friend.
You can tell Wei Ying cannot believe he has Lan Zhan all to himself for the first time. He’s been dying to know everything there is to know about him.
Turns out confident bi king Wei Ying can also go into panic mode when his crush falls asleep in front of him.
Lan Zhan is adorable when drunk and confirms what Wei Ying knew about him already.
Lan Zhan trying to fix his headband but it refuses to be straight and becomes more tilted. Isn’t this basically his life after Wei Ying came into it..
Forehead Ribbon
I’m sure this is something even the average viewer who didn’t watch the show for the romance would’ve noticed. Wei Ying is allowed to touch the forehead ribbon that Lan Zhan says can only be touched by (and taken off in front of) your parents and significant others. What is interesting is that the word Wei Ying uses to tease him is “wife”, but the English translation on platforms like WeTV is more gender neutral because the need to disguise it as a bromance expires in international territory where the audience is free to read the relationship as a romance.
Lan Zhan had accepted the idea of being alone his whole life, and spending it with a woman was never part of that equation.
I love a good plot device that enables our heroes to bond by sharing their past trauma.
The toast Wei Ying makes to them is very Wei Ying of him, and utterly romantic.
This gratuitous shot of what Lan Wangji looks like when he’s broken all the rules with Wei Wuxian laughing over him is one for the history books.
Zewu Jun is shocked like, “Wait, Wangji made so much progress already? For real? How do I protect his gay ass from uncle?”
Breaking The Law Together
This is the first of many times Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are caught together on the side of transgressions. We see that Wei Ying gets his rebellious streak from his mother who once even shaved off Lan Qiren’s goatee. Lan Zhan is given the same punishment as Wei Ying not for merely breaking the law but it seems because his uncle is extra disappointed Lan Zhan would go along with Wei Ying of all people.
Wei Ying tries to save him, alas he’s all I Deserve To Be Punished For The Crime I Committed. The punishment itself is absurdly harsh for the size of the offense. Lan Qiren thinks they deserve it and even Zewu Jun disagrees in private, showing the perceptions that differ between generations.
President Sees Problem, He Fixes Problem
I know we joke a lot about Zewu Jun doing his most to get them alone together.. but that’s not even an exaggeration because it’s exactly what he does.
Wei Ying skipping down the steps with the biggest smile on his face to meet a half-naked Lan Zhan after an incense stick span of separation. Whipped af.
A dramatic poem in 4 pictures.
Two Bros Chilling In The Cold Pond
Two bros chilling in the Cold Pond five feet apart because one of them is gay panicking.
Wei Ying trying to confess to his crush that he’s the apple of his eye.
Lan Zhan has been social distancing in love since eons ago. A true visionary.
Something tells me you won’t be the only one doing that, Wei Ying..
How many times does Lan Zhan have to show his disinterest in woman for you to receive the message, Wei Ying?
Love Is The Weapon That Helps Them Navigate The Ice Cave
The production and set design on the show are outstanding and it is commendable how beautifully Wangxian are framed in the scenes involving their adventures. You get the feeling they are two sides of the same coin and it’s always the two of them against the whole world.
Lan Zhan defending Wei Ying from the Killer-String with his sword is such an underrated, swoon-worthy moment. This is also when the bunnies make their first appearance.
Wei Ying is His Significant Other
Wei Ying asks for his headband and Lan Zhan does not hesitate, as if reading his mind. Wei Ying’s idea is that if the headband is tethered to his hand, the Killer-String would think Wei Ying and Lan Zhan are the same person. Talk about soulmates!
This poetic scene of the ribbon binding their hands together in eternal union. Oh, come on. This is designed to evoke the sense of two people getting married. Lan Zhan has taken off his headband and wrapped it around Wei Ying’s hand. We can now say with irrefutable certainty that Wei Ying is his significant other.
These shots of their linked hands are simply exquisite that I cry every time I watch this scene. The deadly string stops shooting once it recognizes Wei Ying as a Lan clan member by extension and marriage. And surely we cannot question the Lan clan’s ancestral power that has accepted Wei Ying as part of the family. I mean, it goes from not letting him take a step closer to letting him sit right on top of the table where the Guqin is!
In moments like this, I do not understand why we call the romantic details of the show “subtext”, when the cinematography is definitely the most overt layer of visually loud text that will register in anyone’s mind as being gay. But then I forget heteronormativity plagues most viewers.
And we curiously see that even Lan Yi had the same thoughts Wei Ying does about the Yin Iron : use it to harness energy for helping the world.
In summary, Episode 6 paints Wei Ying as The One for Lan Zhan and vice versa. It undoubtedly claims the story as a queer romance that is willing to push the boundaries of censorship and encourage the audience to connect the dots.
The Untamed Is An Artistic Masterpiece
One of the reasons I think The Untamed is more intellectually stimulating and soulfully satisfying than any canon queer romance till date is because of what it accomplished by subverting the creative liberty it wasn’t given. It is amazing because it came from a country that did not have the freedom to make it textbook canon, but had the brilliance to invent and envision many holes in the leeway it had. All because they wanted to do these characters justice. By using meaningful gay symbols and motifs, it elevates their romance into art of the highest degree. And art is not understood by or meant for everyone, art is discoursed upon and dissected at length, it is experienced with all our senses, has the power to move us emotionally and imprint itself on our mind and soul, for us to carry it with us forever. That is why we are all stuck watching The Untamed on repeat instead of say, any of the Western gay romances that get hailed for doing the bare minimum. Queercoding used in Chinese gay productions simply works better than Western productions that are supposedly telling queer romance more openly.
It is even more impressive that the show is set in ancient China reflecting many realistic elements and age-old traditions which make it more believable that Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were perhaps the two mythological heroes who fell in love and truly did live in our history. It has become the benchmark for Asian gay romance that all of Asia can relate to for the many typically Asian sentiments it portrays - begging the million dollar question, can it not be a part of the Asian culture too, that two men can fall in love?
And it is so, so right to raise that question and we are so, so lucky to have witnessed this legendary love story.
Episode 5 is chock full of moments and fun romantic tropes that make it hard to believe this show passed the censorship.
Wei Ying has already taken Lan Zhan as his soulmate of many lifetimes and started confiding secrets in him. He gets dragged away to copy all the rules he broke but it’s ok Wei Ying, Lan Zhan has to notice the undeniable chemistry you share at some point.
The Yiling Patriarch Invented Gay Pining
The sheer amount of pining in this scene.. How did he not burn a hole through the library?
Guy takes a break from admiring the beauty of his crush, starts admiring his calligraphy instead.
The Many Names Wei Ying Calls Him
Calling your beloved by his every name to get his attention. Success! He responds to the name with intimate connotations. But oh no! He actually looked at you! What do you do now? Head empty. Quick! Ask him why he’s ignoring you and subtly remind him that he has the right to express his anger by using your formal name for completely logical reasons.
I understand Wei Ying's feelings, it must be maddening to meet the love of your life and want to skip to the domestic stages of romance, when he still considers you an unruly stranger who has no business with him.
Can we take a second to appreciate what a pure soul Wei Ying is for wanting to constantly do better and learn what he did for Lan Zhan to hate him so much? He apologizes not once but repeatedly for breaking the rules and assures Lan Zhan he would never attack him with the intention to harm. (Wei Ying sweetie, you did nothing wrong, he just isn't ready to admit you're melting his heart.)
All he wants is your attention. Just spare him some him, Lan Zhan! I have no clue how someone can say no to Wei Ying when he’s being this cute. Lan Zhan’s self-restraint must really be something else.
This line and Wei Ying's gay ass smile is so damning. I do not know how some Chinese censor officials did not have conniptions over this.. were they too blinded by heteronormativity, perhaps? Even Lan Zhan has had enough and charms him into silence.
Looking At Him When He’s Not Looking
Looking at your bro when you think he isn't aware you're looking at him, but he's actually painting a portrait of you when you aren't looking at him. I’m done with these idiots.
Wei Ying's heartfelt apology is obvious to us but Lan Zhan's definition of sincerity is abiding by the rules, which Wei Ying gives into for him, with a lot of effort. If that’s not love, what is?
More pining. Wei Ying makes one last attempt at wooing Lan Zhan for the day by giving him a parting gift. (For what exactly? Monitoring him while he carried out his punishment? Love is so irrational, y’all.)
The last touch he gives to Lan Zhan's portrait is adding a flower to his forehead ribbon. This is how Wei Ying really sees Lan Zhan - not as the intimidating Lan Wangji from Gusu Lan clan, but the guy he finds cute when he's lost in concentration. It pains me to see Wei Ying do so much to win his heart.
Lan Zhan Thinks Everything Wei Ying Does Is “Boring”
Wei Ying asks him to say something other than “boring” for a change and this is his reply. What makes their relationship so captivating is their contrasting personalities. Every time Lan Zhan thinks Wei Ying is being ridiculous and goes, “Boring,” I think he actually finds Wei Ying kind of amazing and that’s annoying because it is nothing but a hindrance to the way of life expected from him. It is boring and ridiculous to Lan Zhan that he is starting to get used to Wei Ying’s presence in his life. It is boring that he’s beginning to notice and personally care for a single person instead of the world. It is boring how someone is breaking the seamless silence Lan Zhan has spent most his life wrapped up in and suddenly making it overflow with words - words he does not vocalize but Wei Ying hears anyway. That’s what finding the right person feels like, after all. So it is boring that Wei Ying, with his stupid grin, is so close to coming into his life, throwing out the worldly matters Lan Zhan is supposed to be devoted to and asking him, “Lan Zhan, isn’t it funny that I’m your worldly matter now?”
I guess Wei Ying does get his wish in the end. Lan Zhan erupts and calls him "Wei Ying" for the first time ever because he made him open an erotic book, more specifically one that features explicit gay art. The production team is so slick, I felt giddy the first time I saw this. But still, I don’t think Lan Zhan was being fair, I’m sure he broke a rule that said it’s a great offense to reject someone’s gift.
Lan Zhan strikes me as a closeted baby gay raised on ascetic principles, and Wei Ying’s confident chaotic bi energy is predictably sending his poor world for a toss. No wonder he was ready to duel it out with him. What are the implications of this, Wei Ying? You showed a Lan clan member gay erotic art and assured him there is absolutely nothing wrong in enjoying it. Do you want to kill him?
And remember Wei Ying got this book from Nie Huaisang who has also been queer-coded. After a point, you lose sight of how many characters seem hella gay on this show.
Nonetheless, it is impressive that there is someone who can make the disciplined, detached Hanguang-Jun lose his calm and even get him to swear. Of course it ends up being something for Wei Ying to brag about later. It is indeed an accomplishment that few people can claim as their own.
Can We Buy An Island For Our President Zewu Jun?
Zewu Jun is not even being subtle here. Why is he smiling? Seriously, why?! The fact that his brother called this guy by his formal name which can be used only by people you're close to? The fact that he followed Wei Ying to the secluded part of the Cloud Recesses? Or because he was unable to find the real person since he's fixated on Wei Ying? Knowing our President, it's probably all of the above.
The show's clever usage of Zewu Jun as the emotional compass who points precisely to what Lan Zhan feels is definitely one of my favorite things. We see that Lan Zhan often says one thing about Wei Ying but means another and Zewu Jun is the stand-in for the audience who knows the truth.
We can see the contrast of a speechless Lan Zhan when Zewu Jun confronts him about wanting Wei Ying's company versus the facade he puts on when actually in Wei Ying's company. That's it for today's analysis, folks.
The Aqua Demon Hunt Is The First Testament To Their Chemistry
Wangxian end up sharing a room. (Do we have the President to thank for that?) Lan Zhan being all "Time for me to go meditate in solitude" and Wei Ying being ".... about how we belong together!"
Rewatching these scenes is definitely bad for my heart. The unconcealed disappointment on Wei Ying's face when Lan Zhan turns down his bet to prove their like-mindedness really sends. (Is this the ancient equivalent of a love calculator, Wei Ying? How did the Yiling Patriarch never invent a device like that, I wonder.)
Lan Zhan, did he really deserve this? He just wants to show you what an incredible, unmatchable team you both will make! And he is so good at reading your mind.
Just smiling at the fact that your bro exists for no apparent reason in middle of a hunt. Wei Ying sure has his priorities straight, even if nothing else in his life is.
Wangxian Are The Dream Team
Wei Ying distracting the water ghost and saving Lan Zhan at the same time so effortlessly? A stroke of admirable genius! I probably need to start a separate post to keep track of all the times Wangxian's teamwork puts everyone else to shame. Notice how every time Lan Zhan said "boring" in this episode, it was directed only at Wei Ying’s romantic gestures.
It's that little shoulder bump that screams "I'm sorry I splashed water at you, I did out of my love for you, okay?"
I'm sorry Wei Ying, he just needs more time to process the fact that you are the unrivalled candidate for a cultivation partner he has ever come across. And if you ever get confused why Zewu Jun is mysteriously smiling at various points in the show, it's probably a "My brother is falling in love, good for him, good for him" smile.
Wei Ying’s little head tilt after they both defeat the water ghost that came for their boat that says, “See? We belong together.”
When Lan Zhan learns why Suibian is called so and thinks, "My crush is a fucking idiot, love that for me.“
Wei Ying always understands what Lan Zhan is thinking or wants to say without him having said a word. Soulmates.
Thank you water ghosts for ensuring they both end up on the same boat and giving them the chance to display their spectacular synchronization. Maybe it’ll help Lan Zhan wake up.
I rejoice every time there is a juxtaposition of Wangxian with the straight couples because it proves our main characters are travelling the same romantic arc the others are.
Saving Him For The First Time
Lan Zhan rescues Wei Ying in the nick of time! Sure, that’s the Right Thing to do but do you see his expression? That’s unbridled shock that Wei Ying is going to die. And the matter of utmost importance to Wei Ying in this life-or-death situation is the fact that Lan Zhan isn't holding his hand after the "intimate" experiences they’ve shared. I cannot.
Ok Lan Zhan.. You don't touch people.. Let’s see who the exception is. But honestly we get it, just swooping in to save him was a lot to handle, holding his hand would have been a gay apocalypse on your heart.
Wei Ying Is Growing On Lan Zhan
Lan Zhan finally admits Wei Ying could be right, because annoying as he is, his deductions are brilliant.
We learn Lan Zhan is secretly craving loqauts but throws it back when Wei Ying gives him one. Zewu Jun offers to buy loquats for Lan Zhan, again hinting at his repressed feelings for Wei Ying.
When we hear a vendor selling Emperor's Smile, do we see Lan Zhan's anti-Wei Ying persona begin to crack or am I seeing things?
The episode ends with someone (Wei Ying) taking two bottles of Emperor's Smile and paying for it. Whatever happens, Wei Ying is going to sneak his misconduct into the Cloud Recesses and his way into Lan Zhan’s unfaltering heart.
All in all, this was an episode that opened the possibility of Lan Zhan maybe starting to accept that Wei Ying is a nuisance he likes having around. At the very least, he wants to live in a world where Wei Ying is alive and being his unbelievable self. He’s a man of few words and many micro expressions so that’s why it’s so golden on the rare occasions he does slip up and show that he cares about Wei Ying, like saving him in this episode. His actions speak louder than his words, and they ring louder still as show progresses and he becomes the main line of defense between Wei Ying and anyone who so much as thinks about harming him.
Episode 5 drives it home that Wangxian have chemistry that is to be envied and worth investing in. We get the sense that these two are going to be together for a long ass time.
Episode 4 opens with shots of the Lan clan’s rule books that drowned Wei Ying the night before. As explained in this amazing observation by a fan, the only rule that is visible in the shot is the one which states a Lan clan member should not take off their forehead ribbon unless in front of their parents or cultivation partner, despite the show using the word “wife”. This is a strikingly gender neutral change for a show that is going above and beyond to establish that the heroes are in love without being allowed to do so explicitly.
Wei Ying is Whipped, Lan Zhan is An Ice Prince
Wei Ying is like a puppy in constant need of love and affection from Lan Zhan, isn't he? It is so important to him that Lan Zhan forgive him, befriend him, laugh with him, spend time with him. Oh Lan Zhan, if only you would look past who you are supposed To Be and admit how cute he is.
There are only two people who can make Wei Ying wear this "guilty 5-year-old who stole the candy he wasn't supposed to touch" expression, and that's Lan Zhan and his Shijie.
Wei Ying earned my respect with the number of times he tried to get the attention of his crush in the initial episodes. A true inspiration!
Look how excited he is to see Lan Zhan! And look how gorgeously framed they are to once again remind us they are soulmates in life and the battlefield.
Lan Qiren and Wei Ying’s Disagreement Is The First Seed of his Downfall
Wei Ying angers Lan Qiren in this scene by suggesting they harness resentful energy the same way they use spiritual energy to his hypothetical question, when such a thing is unheard of, unnatural and contemptible in the cultivation world. He gets kicked out of the lecture for his answer, foreshadowing his fall from grace.
The interactions between Wei Ying and Lan Qiren are always strained, and understandably so. He is no stranger to the grim consequences of demonic cultivation after having raised two kids who were caught in its crossfire. Lan Qiren follows the traditions he values above all else down to a T. Wei Ying's method, be it now or when he actually starts practising demonic cultivation, is something that strikes him as being almost perverse. But are him and the other cultivators right in classifying Wei Ying as corrupt for going down that road? Wei Ying simply considered a logical but forbidden path people have not dared to think about. His ideas are out of the box and definitely not the orthodox thing to do but should he be labelled a villain for it? The cultivation world and Wei Ying just have two vastly different approaches to the same problem. The line of thought separating a genius and megalomaniac is pretty thin after all, and Wei Ying's heart has never been guided by anything but pure intentions and an unwillingness to sit back in the face of injustice.
But Lan Qiren's generation and all of the cultivation world would not understand that. And what they do not understand, they fear. The order of their world is sustained only by the stratification of black and white. This is indisputable and there is no other variable to it. Heck, it even takes Lan Zhan a long time to accept it is Wei Ying who is right and the rest of the world that is wrong.
Lan Qiren represents the ancient "natural" order of the world and Wei Ying's disrespect for what reveals itself to be a suffocating system leads to the new, better, inclusive order with revised perceptions of right and wrong that Wangxian end up creating. Even if this new world comes with a great cost. The story leaves us with the questions, who is right and who is wrong, after all? Who are we to dictate that and set them in stone?
(On a less serious note, I don't know if it's because I've seen this trope in many Asian dramas, but I found it funny how Lan Qiren is questioning Wei Ying simply for the purpose of belittling him by finding a blind spot in his intelligence. Even though Wei Ying is easily the smartest guy in the room, whose heart of gold and morally grey choices paint him as a villain. It gave me "mother-in-law who despises the woman who's going to marry into their family" vibes. Lol!)
Is The Untamed A Tale of Righteousness Or A Queer Romance? Both, Always Both
Somewhere in this war that will happen between Wei Ying and the rest of the cultivation world, between what can be considered right and wrong, honor and disgrace, the natural and unnatural ways of life (which are all codified into an absolute, immovable binary), there is a metaphor for being different in a world that is hell bent on excluding you for being thus. And you know what Wei Ying’s whole journey reminds me of? Of our heroes being queer. If you haven’t thought about it, the parallels do exist in the story, becoming obvious when Lan Qiren punishes Lan Zhan for questioning the fallacy in the same rules that made him lose his lover, and culminating with Lan Zhan irrevocably taking Wei Ying’s side in episode 42. He chooses to be on the “wrong” side with Wei Ying, orthodoxy be damned. (I’d hate to be Lan Zhan's uncle who is implied to be homophobic and ends up having a son-in-law.)
It might be early in the story to bring this up but The Untamed is at its crux, a story about two different guys who come together for the same cause and fall in love on the path of justice, while struggling to safeguard the definition of morality they know in their hearts to be true. Their soulmateship is woven inextricably with living with a clean conscience and doing the right thing even when the world tells them they are grossly incorrect. (Eat that, Romeo’s and Juliet’s! What life-or-death challenges did straight romance ever face?) That’s how Wangxian’s upright lifestyle (which only they know to be just and others frown down upon) doubles as a metaphor for their relationship. Some people support it, some don’t, some even deplore and oppose them for it because they think they are committing a crime. Doesn’t change the fact that we, the audience, can see that they are right (and that they’re in love). In fact, it is precisely because they chose the single log bridge together (because they fell in love) that led to balance being restored in their morally corrupt world.
It’s the many little things like this about our two heroes that make the world of The Untamed undergo a transformation for the better. We don’t talk enough about the fact that Wangxian together overthrow ancient, draconian laws that decreed what is black and white, by swearing an oath to protect the powerless together but also by swearing an unspoken vow to be together forever. And one can hope, especially if you’re a queer person who fell in love with this story, that the world and most of Asia will see the light about the LGBTQ+ people one day, like the other characters realized Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were not criminals but the best of human beings who simply lived life the only way they knew as being honest with themselves and true to their hearts. They need not spend their lives on the lonely bridge of darkness, and deserve a wider path of acceptance built by and shared with the rest of the world, one that shines under the broad daylight, because they have always, always been in the right. Like Lan Zhan and Wei Ying have been. It’s that everyone else is slow to catch up with them.
It Is Doubly Hard For Lan Zhan To Do The Right Thing
Lan Zhan in this scene recites the rules he has learnt verbatim and his uncle beams. It is clear he takes pride in Wangji being his prized student and the perfect example of who a duty-bound clan member should be. The person Lan Zhan used to be makes it that much harder for him to rebel against his own uncle later. I cannot imagine the courage it took him to unlearn the principles he had centered his life around after they turned regressive, and acknowledge that they did more harm than good by viewing an expanding universe through an achingly narrow vision.
Wei Ying was born free-spirited and defiant so his choices are not totally unexpected. But Lan Zhan's choices make him lose his reputation as the unwavering bearer of light, along with the respect of his uncle who had placed him on a pedestal and vice versa. Once again drawing the comparison that turning his back on the world and ensuring his conscience was clean is the same as siding with Wei Ying, the man who he loves and was wrongfully denounced by everyone.
In summary, Episode 4 shows us the polarity between our heroes and the lives they lead. And after all, it is the most basic rule in the book that opposites make the perfect formula for a romance.
What Gay Messages Is The Show Sending?
In the new world order Wangxian write by themselves when no one else can, for Lan Zhan to choose Wei Ying means to choose an honorable life, and to choose Wei Ying also means to choose love. Their love for each other is the last standing untarnished virtue in the contaminated world that is already unravelling when Lan Zhan declares his love for Wei Ying in public and the first virtue in this new world that came into existence all the way back when Lan Zhan and Wei Ying launched the lantern together, deciding to stick together and be the voice that speaks out for the voiceless. It is Lan Zhan and Wei Ying’s love for each other that redeems the sorrows of the past, and paves the way for a greener future in their world. Their love story is undoubtedly the most extraordinary part of The Untamed and we are privileged to have seen it in our lifetime.
It is groundbreaking, if this metaphor for their gay love story was at all intended in any way. Even if it wasn’t, Wangxian are the queer heroes that have been sorely missing from our history. Their story propagates that people like Wangxian are liberated only when we realize we have to foster and feed the very thing that makes us different. The odds are we are the only ones capable of knowing that we are right, even if everyone else condemns and invalidates something as vital as our existence. For the sake of our clean conscience, we go on living life the way we see fit because that’s what living an honest and honorable life entails. That’s what Lan Zhan and Wei Ying would want us to do. We are all ridiculously ahead of a time that is running to keep up with us. So..
Ever since I saw the fanmade romcom trailer of the show, I can’t get the image of bridegroom Lan Wangji out of my head. His entry is so elegant and his presence throughout the show truly ethereal. (Wei Ying, you’re not even trying to hide those heart eyes. We get it! You’re impressed.)
Lan Zhan’s Character Growth
We only remember Lan Zhan as the guy who reserved all his emotions and smiles for Wei Ying, so rewatching the rigid, inflexible person he used to be kind of drives me crazy. Lan Zhan before he met Wei Ying started his journey as a lone, icy, untouchable snow-capped peak and by letting himself love and be loved by Wei Ying in return, the person he becomes in the end is like a warm, summery mountain shining with life and no trace of the glaciers that thawed over. His character evolution is no joke and it is only because Wei Ying’s companionship makes him more human and allows him to be the best version of himself. Lan Zhan’s arc is one of the best things in the show and the most rewarding reason to watch it.
Did I Just Meet The LOML
Lan Zhan taking note of his future soulmate showing off his intelligence right from the start. But shhh, he’s too much of a tsundere to admit that right now.
But Lan Zhan, What About The 9pm Curfew?
Notice how Lan Zhan is up late at night waiting for Wei Ying, like a Good Obedient Boy from the Lan clan ready to catch a lawbreaker red-handed. Are we sure he has not simply mistaken his positive feelings for annoyance and found a way to spend more time with Wei Ying?
Wei Ying, my bro, I think you might be the moon in this case.
Flirting With The Law Enforcer? That’s One More Violation!
It’s cute to watch their dynamics in the beginning, Wei Ying is already so familiar with Lan Zhan, tries to share his drink with him, teases him for the first of many times. And Lan Zhan just looks like “?????? Are you flirting with the law enforcer?! That is yet another violation of the Lan clan rules!”
Wei Ying coquettishly pushes Lan Zhan's sword into its sheath and the chase that comes next is the beginning of something monumental and exciting.
(I understand preserving the original meaning is difficult in English translation but they really had Wei Ying call Lan Zhan inflexible only to follow it up with a beautifully choreographed fight sequence? Really?)
Wangxian’s First Meeting Is Romantic Cinematography At Its Finest
This scene right here is in my opinion, the most romantic scene to ever exist in all of fiction. If anyone tries to argue that Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are best bros, show them this scene. There is no hetero explanation for why it is so romantically shot. We have seen it countless times in fairytales. This is unmistakably the meeting of two people destined to be in love forever. It stole my breath the first time I saw it, and has done every time since. Like legit, it needs to be on top of those lists that boast the most iconic meetings in romantic history and taught in academic institutions worldwide.
First of all, a moonlit first meeting is enough to immortalize a story in our memory as being inherently romantic. But Wangxian are so effortlessly and picturesquely sword fighting (or should I say dancing?) on the rooftops, hair and clothes gently swaying to the tune of WuJi and thanks to the slow-motion closeups that make them glow like a live painting under the moonlight.
(And surely I was not the only one who heard this random bell ringing at night and got reminded of wedding bells or the film ‘Your Name’? Lol!)
We see that neither of them has the upper hand in the fight. This is important because it establishes they were born to be each other’s equals on the battlefield, something Zewu Jun points out later. (Just one of the many soulmate things Wangxian share.) I have no doubt Lan Zhan is freaking out wondering, who the fuck is this guy? How can he match my every strike and step without even uncapping his sword?
In these above shots, there is a beautiful, unmissable symmetry in the way they are framed that drives it home that they are two halves of the same whole; their paths will be bound together, their perspectives will come to reflect each other. They are one and the same. The way they fight is also kind of intimate and very poetic. The super romantic backdrop and their placement shows that they are in perfect tandem and their chemistry is loud and luminous from the first time they meet.
There is nothing straight about this scene. Not even the shot angle. Look!
There is also something quite god-like and celestial about their meeting, like we are witnessing two prophesied immortal beings whose encounter is going to change the fate of the universe. And does it not, indeed?
I think I heard the moon longingly sigh in this scene because she felt so single. Honestly, understandable. It’s so maddening how two soulmates meeting for the first time can turn out to be this iconic, beautiful, brilliant, breathtaking and every other word you can think of. (We’re lucky Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan are used to dancing, the fight sequences are all so graceful. *chef’s kiss*)
I feel like this one scene reduced every straight romance I’ve ever seen to ashes. I’m honestly curious, can anyone outdo this in the future, gay or not? It has become The Standard for first meetings. I envy the talented, creative minds that envisioned and executed it.
TL;DR : The whole scene is drenched with a romantic field of vision meant specifically for the audience to swoon over.
“Lan Zhan!”
Wei Ying drops one of his two precious pots of Emperor’s Smile because Lan Zhan attacked them. Most people would just be mad in this situation but it's the first time Wei Ying calls him "Lan Zhan”. I wonder what led Wei Ying to have such an informality with Lan Zhan, who didn't consider him his friend until much later. It could be that it’s just who they are, two people with opposite personalities. But we don't see Wei Ying exhibit this closeness with strangers and yet he's whining Lan Zhan's name in that classic style of his, right from the first night they meet. Adorable! (Lan Zhan who owes him two bottles of Emperor’s Smile for breaking them spends the rest of his life buying them for Wei Ying.. In case you needed a reason to cry.)
Breaking The Rules & Breaking The Barriers To Lan Zhan’s Heart
Wei Ying actively criticizes the Lan clan’s rules and finds their teaching unreasonable. He thinks drinking Emperor’s Smile when he’s sitting on the roof technically doesn’t count as being “inside” the Cloud Recesses where alcohol is banned. A small detail but it shows Wei Ying’s gift of seeing through the grey areas in morality. It is a trait that ultimately influences Lan Zhan to shed the hard and fast ideas of orthodoxy he was raised on and share Wei Ying’s quest for justice. This makes both of them the only people inside the world of The Untamed who are able to see the deep-seated problems in the existing system and question them. Their love story is inextricably tied with rewriting the laws of their world and if that does not make The Untamed the most revolutionary romance to ever exist, I don’t know what does.
Lan Zhan Really Just Cares A Lot
Turns out Lan Zhan didn’t let the Yunmeng Jiang clan stay out in the dark after all. Love how he’s Gay Gripping his sword in panic and backing away from Wei Ying because he doesn't want him to know he's a good person whose heart is in the right place. You know, because that's a horrible reputation for his tsundere persona to have. Zewu Jun takes one for the team and blows his cover, which becomes a common occurrence in the show. Wei Ying is also quick to apologize to him like, “I had a good feeling about you!” when we’ve seen he rarely does that with disciples from other clans.
President In Action
The conversation between Lan Zhan and Zewu Jun needs no analysis and the latter’s triumphant smirk in the end when Lan Zhan walks off is all the evidence you need that He Knows What’s Up. I love how Zewu Jun probably sits around like, "I have to personally do something or my dumbass brother is going to spend his whole life alone, when he's clearly met his soulmate and is too blind to admit it." Thank you, President of the Wangxian club. We do not deserve you.
What Did Wei Ying Mean?
Wei Ying says all the female suitors from all the clans admire Lan Zhan without knowing how cold and rigid he really is, and he doesn’t complete his sentence because Lan Zhan uses the silencing charm on him. What did he mean by this? What were you going to do, Wei Ying?!
Episode 3 gives us insight into the inception of their romance and we see every moment since the beginning has been tailor-made to tell the audience this is going to be a love story set against fantasy-driven, action-packed odds in ancient China.
Lan Zhan arrives to protect Wei Ying in time even when it's purely coincidental and he doesn't know who he is. Mayhaps his true reputation is appearing wherever his lover creates chaos, in the past, present and future. I just find it funny how fate keeps driving Lan Zhan into Wei Ying's path when he wants to avoid him.. it’s like the universe really wants them to be together.
You Do Not Deserve My Attention
Lan Zhan does not make eye contact with Jiang Cheng or even say a word to him. He looks down or away the whole time. It's not hard to understand his anger aimed at anyone who betrayed the love of his life, especially his own brother. Lan Zhan considers them as being beneath his existence. When Jiang Cheng is throwing shade about Lan Zhan’s association with the Yiling Laozu and how he didn't stop looking for him for 16 years, it's only his disciples who talk back.
Lan Zhan's spidey senses tingling when his idiot-soulmate is near.
It's cute how Wei Ying is all, "Kids!!! Please wait for me!!" and leading them around but the kids are like "??? We are not your kids!!! You don’t even know us!" But later in the show, they do develop a kind of "giant student family with two legendary cultivators for dads/teachers" kind of a relationship. Which is basically Wangxian raising a whole new generation of open-minded cultivators who grow up knowing right and wrong are not laws stringently enforced but matters that deserve a lot more careful consideration. How amazing is that?
Sizhui Is Truly Their Son
Ah Yuan really grew up to be the Goodest, Bestest boy in the world, huh? He inherited all of Lan Zhan and Wei Ying's best characteristics and their soft, golden hearts. He advocates for peace all the time, is the brightest student, is the first to stand up for justice and is so kind even to those who may not deserve it. The world is a better place because of Wangxian and their son. I know we would’ve watched the hell out of a sequel with just the three of them.
Yiling Laozu More Like Feeling Laozu
Okay, PAUSE. The dark melody Wei Ying is playing morphs into WuJi because it's the first and only thing Wei Ying can think of to calm a crazed mind. It is synonymous to comfort, peace, love, home and sleep. So zombie Wen Ning stops fighting, looks like he had some kind of a gentle revelation when he hears the music and goes away after being moved by the sheer power of gay love! Like goodbye, even the other people in their lives are affected by the healing power of this song.
(A day does not pass without me being thankful for Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan for giving their voices to this song and making it come alive. The Wangxian Anthem would not be what it is today if someone else had sung it.)
A Legendary Reunion
I know I'm not alone in losing my mind over this scene. Technically speaking, when we see it for the first time the average viewer would know nothing about these two characters or their history. And yet the magnitude of this meeting is staggering even to a first time viewer. Somehow you just feel that it was a reunion they spent an eternity in separation waiting for. It's so beautifully designed to make you cry. The familiarity, the longing, the searching, the slow-motion effect that is shown from many angles. This scene is one of my favorites and always tugs my heart.
Time Stands Still
Can we just appreciate how Lan Zhan is holding on to his hand through all the conversations flowing around them and looking at nothing but Wei Ying like he's a miracle.. it's like time has stopped for him and nothing else matters because he can't believe Wei Ying is standing before him once again. I’m shattered y’all.
Dumbass Wei Ying plays their theme song and spends the whole show wondering, “How on earth did Lan Zhan identify me? I had a mask on. It's so weird. Lan Zhan is always so clever lol! 😏”
Wei Ying, you're such a clown.
Not On My Goddamn Watch
It’s unsurprising how quickly Lan Zhan’s protective mode kicks in when he realizes it is certainly Wei Ying behind the mask. Unsure if I've ever seen anything hotter than Lan Zhan always defending Wei Ying in battle. He always swings in like, "You're not going to lay a hand on him on my watch," and I admire it each time. They are the definition of "couples who fight together, stay together". At least that’s what I focus on instead of how angsty the relationship between the siblings gets.
The timeline is not linear in this story so if you remove the flashbacks, it pretty much feels like Wei Ying is falling into sleep while recounting his memories in episode 2 and waking up in the post-flashback present day later in episode 33. The flashback is like a dream that lasts for these many episodes. And when he opens his eyes, what’s the first thing he sees? Lan Zhan, of course. I like to believe nothing bad will happen to him in the present after all the hell he's been through, and all the memories of the past won't follow him because they are nothing but the vestiges of a nightmare that no longer matter. Wei Ying himself says it feels like a dream. It makes me happy to know that Lan Zhan is there by his side in the present. And it’ll be okay whatever happens, even if he falls again. Lan Zhan is there to bolster him and he isn’t going anywhere.
Emperor’s Smile
Also, how ridiculous is it that the Gusu region is famous for Emperor's Smile but alcohol is banned in the Cloud Recesses? The ancestors who made these rules knew nothing about fun. This drink is also a mirror for Wangxian's relationship, and it is very telling how Lan Zhan's attitude towards it changes by the end because of his love for Wei Ying. He goes from fighting Wei Ying for smuggling it into Cloud Recesses, to keeping it buried in the snow when Wei Ying was gone from this world, and personally buying it for him when he comes back. No, I’m not crying.
Episode 2 establishes Lan Zhan as the person who Wei Ying has romantic ties with, even if we do not know at this point how deeply that bond runs.
Me : I like watching The Untamed for the fantasy period drama plot of the show!!!
The Plot™️ of the Show :
First Sight of Wangxian
What a tragic and iconic introduction of the main couple : Tbh this is when I knew this show was ride or die for me, I couldn't get myself to care about the over-the-top stunts or graphics that might bother some people. It made me gasp like, "a guy just went over the cliff and another guy came flying to catch him. MAGNIFIQUE! Never done before! I need MORE of this content!!!!"
And the first word Wei Ying says on the show : Lan Zhan.
Wei Ying Remembers
The poetic cinema that is Wei Ying recognizing the Lan clan's crest in Sizhui's robes, the flood of memories starring Lan Zhan coming back to him as he falls to the ground with the sad version of WuJi playing over a flashback of the first time he ever saw him... it really be like that sometimes. (And he doesn't even know who this sweet, kind boy is yet! Add this to Lan Zhan naming Sizhui thus with his name literally meaning “to recollect and to long for”, so his existence is like a token of remembrance bringing Wangxian’s story full circle. All of this in the first few moments of the show. AAAAH!) Hang in there, Wei Ying.
Sizhui Recognizes The Melody™️
Sizhui recognizes the tune of WuJi (ok obviously he's their son, if his dads played it while missing each other, he's going to remember it!) and we can guess Lan Zhan probably played it in the 16 years Wei Ying was gone or Wei Ying played it in his time away from Lan Zhan when A-Yuan was still a baby. In a lot of ways, this song represents the whole show and their relationship, and it makes me weep every time I hear it.
Chén Qíng Lìng
I thought it's pretty amazing the show in Chinese is titled after the flute that belongs to the "mad defector, Yiling Patriarch", but how fucking beautifully and gloriously ironic is it that the melody Wei Ying played most often on his flute is not one that drove people mad with dark magic but the love song founded on his relationship with Lan Zhan, and composed by Lan Zhan? I think that's a great metaphor for those who romanticize the idea of “the grandmaster of demonic cultivation” and are too blind to see the heart of this story.
Wei Ying Gay Panicking and Lan Zhan Still Waiting & Hoping
That feeling when you’re gay panicking about potentially meeting the love of your life who doesn't know you’re back from the dead after 16 years because you need several eons of preparation to see him again. My heart aches for Wei Ying, and more still for Lan Zhan who never stopped looking for him or hoping he could be alive. Never seen two bigger idiots who are so meant for each other.
Wei Ying’s First Glance of Lan Zhan In 16 Years
I absolutely positively cannot stand to look at Wei Ying here. Nope. The amount of fondness radiating from his face can fuel a billion stars and invent love. I'm pretty sure it did. Also - that's what you think after seeing him for the first time since resurrection? Wei Ying, you are truly a hopeless fool in love. But you’re not wrong, he’s been mourning you.
The Arrival of The Most Romantic Hero Ever
I also love the epic Hero Entry and build-up they gave for Lan Zhan’s official introduction. Give me that cheesy trope in historical gay context! Heck yeah! Our beloved hero has arrived with pomp and ceremony to sweep the other hero off his feet, even if Wei Ying practically flees. It’s ok Lan Zhan, fate will lead you to him soon.
Wangxian’s Immortal Abode
Have you noticed the one scene that is never missing from the opening and especially end credits? As if to foreshadow a happy ending for them. You can't convince me this isn't what awaits you at the gates of heaven. Just Wangxian enjoying eternal domestic bliss, always atop the waterfalls at the Cloud Recesses, the sound of guqin and flute always echoing together, two husbands upholding justice and staying by the other's side forever. Like they always have, will be and should be.
The One Who Knew Nothing
The first time I watched this show, the plot went over my head and I paid no attention to Nie Huaisang except to think he was funny. (Hey come on, Wangxian is the only plot we all know.) And to think he is the mastermind who orchestrated everything.. mad respect for you my dude.. I’ve never been so blindsided by a character before.
To summarise, Episode 1 introduces (in a time jump) the two heroes who will go on to share an epic journey and fall in love. We see hints of their past and how much they’ve missed each other. We’re shown just enough to be left wondering what happened between them and what went wrong.
