The Untamed episode 45

[selenay]

There was so much in this episode. SO MUCH.

So much plot!

So much feelings!

WWX got to continue his lesson on why Su She is a bad guy (and is not smart enough to have been the main bad guy) and now we know he was the Ghost Mask guy from before. The cultivators are slowly coming around to the idea that WWX is right about all of this so maybe he wasn't actually the Most Evil Person Ever after all?

Of course, WWX had to do something incredibly dangerous to rescue everyone because he wouldn't be WWX if he didn't. Kind of loved it, though, even while I was worrying about him. I don't tend to worry as much if LWJ is there with him during these dangerous bits? Probably because I know LWJ won't let him die while doing dangerous stuff, which makes it easier to go through for me.

I'm enjoying the way LWJ and WWX are just this package deal, always together, everyone just naturally assumes they'll stay together no matter what. I did not like JC telling WWX he's not welcome to the banquet, but I did love LWJ just going "well, fuck that banquet, I'm out here with my boyfriend". And then he quietly stood there meditating and told WWX not to be mischievous and WWX actually listened and sat up and didn't sprawl.

(It was probably more because sprawling is not good for LWJ's composure than because he thought WWX was going to cause his usual international diplomatic incidents at the banquet :D)

This was the banquet where we got to learn that JGY and JGS were both worse than we'd anticipated, and I'm going to hope that JGY gets what's coming to him soon. Preferably in a way that satisfies the sacrificing curse they only remember about every twenty episodes or so.

Despite all the fighting and horrific revelations, this episode also had some beautifully soft moments that I love.

Specifically, Wen Ning and Sizhui <3

I just love the slow realisation that they both go through on the docks. It's gorgeous. Sizhui still doesn't remember who WWX was back then (but his instincts do, look at how he's the one who goes back check on WWX after his dangerous blood thing) but he's starting to remember a few bits and he does remember Wen Ning.

And it's beautiful. That image of them quietly talking together on the dock while all the adults banquet together, Sizhui getting the full story of the time he was buried like a radish, was perfect.

And Sizhui telling Wen Ning about growing up and being cared for by LWJ, deciding to live with the rabbits and eat carrots for a while. I just...it was lovely.

Can someone please tell WWX who Sizhui is? PLEASE?

Also, I just have so many feelings about Sizhui and LWJ trying to figure out how to recover from everything they've been through together. LWJ trying to be a father, but without WWX there. Knowing Sizhui has this big WWX-shaped hole in his life that's almost as big as his own WWX-shaped gap. LWJ figured it out, though, because Sizhui appears to be the most emotionally well-adjusted character in this show, so he got something right somewhere.

I'm in two minds about whether I want fic to fill in those gaps or not. It might hurt. Hmm.

The scene with Jin Ling was both painful and weirdly cathartic? He's carrying his father's sword, he's been raised on the stories of what WWX and the Ghost General did...but Wen Ning is this sweetly gentle person who fought ghost puppets for them and WWX is this great teacher who doesn't appear to be evil at all and keeps putting himself in danger to save them.

It must be so confusing. He wants to hate them so much, he wants to be able to kill Wen Ning, but it isn't in him. One of his uncles, one of the people who raised him, might actually be responsible for it all instead. He's trying to hold onto all these conflicting emotions and it's no wonder he ended up just crying and holding his sword, because the bedrock of his history is being challenged and uprooted in front of him.

I did not expect to feel this much sympathy for Jin Ling.

That's one of the things this show is really good at: giving me a picture of characters at the start and then completely upturning my feelings about them.

Comments

[soupytwist]

HE WAS BURIED LIKE A RADISH *SOBS FOREVER*

[selenay]

*SOBS WITH YOU*

[umadoshi]

My Turnip Baby! *weeps with sentiment*

(I cut my teeth on the YouTube subtitles, so I always say "turnip", not "radish".)

I love Jin Ling tremendously, which is truly impressive. The actor does such a great job (that crying scene...! ;_;), and given who raised the poor kid, I think Jin Ling's doing way better than one should expect.

[selenay]

The actor is great! He's got a complicated character and comparatively little screen time to get all that across. Given who raised Jin Ling, he's definitely doing better than expected. I like to think that's the Yanli genes coming through despite all the terrible parenting.

(I cut my teeth on the YouTube subtitles, so I always say "turnip", not "radish".)

I had no idea there were YouTube subtitles to add to the mix of different translations!

[umadoshi]

I had no idea there were YouTube subtitles to add to the mix of different translations!

I feel like the thing the YouTube version is best known for may be the choice to use "Childe" ("Childe Wei" and such) where other translations go with, like, "Young Master". Apparently this is very offputting and/or hilarious to people who've been through specific vampire canons or fandoms. *g*

[selenay]

OMG, that is hilarious and I'm not sure I could take those subtitles. "Young Master" sounds a lot less...er...yeah, vampiric *g*