The Untamed gave me the same good vibes I got while watching Guardian (2018) before (first favorite C-drama of mine). I agree it's not everyone's cup of tea but if you enjoy historical, fantasy with some horror elements and Xianxia dramas you should give it a try.

As for the story I really liked it. Maybe it's because I didn't know anything about the setting but the first episode was a bit confusing for me at first. The drama starts with the male lead character's present and then jumps back in time for 16 years in episode 2. More than the half of the drama is spent on telling the back-story which might sound like a lot but I found it well balanced and the pacing absolutely fitting. There wasn't one episode that didn't entertain me so a thumbs up from me. The story is interesting and I liked the mix of action, sad and funny scenes. It sent me on a rollercoaster of feelings and I had my moments when the scenes were so touching that I shed tears (which I rarely do while watching something and only when it manages to totally capture me). The story comes to a (in my opinion satisfying) closure.

Which leads me to the cast. I'm a sucker for a good cast and characters with depth and development. All of that you'll find in The Untamed. The acting was on point and supporting characters had their fair share of screen time and didn't turn into colourless props like I've seen in other dramas. In here they actually get a background, a story to tell on their own.
Zhan Xiao and Wang Yi Bo made it straight to my favorites list among some others and I'm looking forward to see them in other dramas. I haven't seen any of them before and can't compare their previous works but think that every one did a great and absolutely convincing job here. Without downgrading the others, Zhan Xiao's facial expressions were such a joy.

The soundtrack is totally to my liking. It has many great instrumentals and of course the character songs as well as the opening and ending tunes. It's a pleasure to listen to on its own and I do so often.

For me it's already sure that I will rewatch this drama. I liked it from the beginning to the end and can't believe I finished it so fast. I kept being curious as how it would go on and always looked forward to the next episode.

Overall I can only recommend to give this drama a try if you're curious. I fell pretty fast in love with it and don't regret anything. It's really a gem.

I would say that this show ends up suffering a little from some of the censorship that it has to go through (in comparison to the novel), but what it looses in terms of some weird plot shenanigans ([spoiler]yin iron magic mcguffin and the awkward combination of the siege of the burial mounds with nightless city) [/spoiler] it more than gains in incredibly strong emotional moments and amazing acting.

As an adaptation, it also makes some modifications to the original novel storyline that I particularly like. Small things, like [spoiler] Wei Wuxian calling for his sister instead of Lan Zhan when Jiang Cheng tortures him with the dog [/spoiler], make Wei Xuxian's other relationships more fleshed out than they were in the danmei. Lan Zhan [spoiler] asking his uncle 'what is right' when being punished [/spoiler] adds a greater moral element where previously it was mostly just romantic.

In terms of weird plot shenanigans, I find that it's better to be a bit forgiving and favor the emotions over logic. Nothing is immediately wrong or immersion breaking, but if you enjoy thinking a lot about things, its better to just read the novel. Really the only reason it doesn't get a perfect score.