The thematic use of a crowd in this drama is actually terrifyingly effective. The way they cry to kill Wei Wuxian is exactly the way they rally to kill Jin Guangyao, and you're stuck thinking, "Well you've got the right guy now, but..." On another note, both Xue Yang and Jin Guangyao are perfect embodiments of "Cool motive, still murder." And also Xiao Xingchen is a Greek tragic hero, you can't change my mind.
Honestly, the way that the way my boi was finally vindicated and seen as not the big villain and all of Lan Guangyao's evil doings are revealed but instead of the relief and vindication we should be feeling.... It's just disgust. Perfect story telling.
Jin Guangshan doesn't get talked about enough for being one of the big villains of the show. I actually find him to be far more irredeemable as a character than either Meng Yao or Xue Yang. At least with those two, it's easy to imagine how even one different choice could have completely changed the course of their lives for the better, but JGS had no discernible motive for being the way he was and it's hard to imagine any alternate course of events that would have changed him as a person in a positive way. He's the epitome of a one dimensional villain, and his actions also directly lead to all of Meng Yao's. Also very good point about the cultivation society in general being the overarching villain of the story. They move their target from one person to the next so quickly and easily, to the point that they don't actually care about what's right or wrong they just want someone to blame and gossip about all the time. Even the way they instantly shifted their focus off of Wei Ying and onto getting the stygian tiger amulet showed their hypocrisy. They never cared about whether he was actually evil or not, they were just jealous of the power he held.
I agree, the villains in the novel was definitely the Cultivation World. The Mob Mentality in the story was heavily evident. I think a good phrase to describe the scene where WWX throws the arrow back to the man who meant to shoot him and told the crowd that it shouldn't be a big deal if it's okay for you to do that to me. "Throwing rocks in a glass house", or "Don't dish out what you can't take back in." In comparison to WWX, JGY and XY, the 'elite' Cultivators from the big clans and sects had more reason to act more dignified and responsible than those three did because of their 'legitimate birth'🙄. The Cultivation World thought themselves better than WWX, JGY and XY but was completely fine with using them for their own gain and then discarding them - sometimes publicly - without stopping to think about the consequences of their actions. (I also think NMJ was killed not just because he was a threat to JGY & JGS but because NMJ could have swayed other people into acknowledging that JGY didn't deserve a position of power due to lack of empathy and sacrifice on JGY's part and not because he was a 'Son of a Prostitute'. JGY's famous trigger words.) JGY is a horrible person indeed but his 'Forever a F**kboy' Father helped him become worse. NMJ is the MVP of the story all together for me. Yes, NHS orchestrated WWX coming back and unveiling JGY''s lies but NMJ's death was the catalyst for everything since WWX would not have come back if NHS didn't feel forced into doing so because of his brother's death and desecration of his corpse. JGY, JGS and XY were wrecking havoc for years before WWX came back but his brother's death was the reason the story continued and JGY and XY was stopped. Though throughout the book, there were many times that the ordinary people of the world (those who didn't cultivate or who wanted to live mundane lives), were at the mercy of the Cultivators! Like, was there no Checks & Balances for Cultivators? Who do they answer to when they need to take responsibility for their actions?! No one and that's sounds villainy. No one in MDSZ was perfect (except A-Yuan of course!) and it's one of the reasons why I love this story: it has a good selection of morally ambiguous characters that you don't see in media from Chinese dramas nowadays. There's so much to talk about when it comes to MDZS but that would take forever! 🤣 Thank you for the video!
I agree with the point about the mob mentality . Infact Wei Ying noted it himself in one episode ( it was 45/46 I think) . Mengyao's dad was a douche and I think the way he met his end is well deserved . I don't endorse the means mengyao used but I think we can all agree that we secretly wanted that pervert old man to get a taste of what he inflicted on others.
I loved that you talked about this. I was hoping to hear someone talk about this. What made The Untamed really stand out for me was exactly this. The clear social commentary on the mob mentality broke my heart because it's very real.
It's terrifyingly sad that Xiao Zhan who played a character in a dramawhich showcases the harm of mob mentality himself became a villain in the eyes of the internet mob . These are the times I wish life didn't imitate art so closely.
This is so true! The same crowd that the day before wanted WWX dead then turned immediately on JGY, their leader with very little real evidence that suddenly showed up on their doorstep. Then they turn to him for help without any apologies. It's terrifying! Doubly so that the "mob mentality" is such a real thing. This really is something that should be talked more especially with this faceless internet culture. Thank you for starting this conversation!
This always reminds me of that one line in which WWX says that both their admiration and hatred is so cheap. It really shows. He always knew how fake these people were.
Oh my gosh, I 100% agree with you. That's how I felt while watching the drama as well. You can even see in the scene where the mob starts to change their opinion towards Wei Wuxian and turn their hate towards Jin Guangyao. Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan look at each other and you can see in their eyes how tired and disgusted they are with these people, and they just walk away. It really struck a chord with me just how pointless it all really was, and how tragic because of that.
This is exactly why Wei Ying said that both their admiration and hatred is cheap before he died. It also disgusts me how they still assumed Wei Ying had bad intentions after saving their lives even though he knew they only came to kill him. Like he saved the ones who wanted to kill him for the second time. And then a few hours later two women come and tell some stories and suddenly the whole cultivation world wants his help and even calls him nicely and not Yiling Patriarch. Like I’m really getting problems with my aggressions just thinking about all these shitty people, especially Clan Leader Yao. He’s always the first one to say things that make no sense at all.
Beautifully summarized. One thing I think the author did really well, probably one of the aspects that sold me on the story, is how nicely she managed to frame the thematic aspect of the story - the novel begins with anonymous people gossiping and celebrating Wei Wuxian's passing, and it ends (the 'official' end, not the extra chapters) with anonymous people gossiping about the events at the Guanyin temple, and it is especially striking given that, as a reader, you just experienced those events unfold and you know how off some of those rumors were. Something The Untamed did that nicely I think, was the way they mirrored the mob cries In the end that is really the whole point, I feel like. Someone always has to be the scapegoat and when people don't care to get in the other person's shoes when they see them as this distant figure you end up with this violent mob mentality. Sure, JGY was framed as the prime antagonist and his actions were indeed abhorrent, but not all of that would've happened if he wasn't brought down at every turn (and if he didn't get to witness his mother this humiliated) The whole story with Nie Mingjue also took an interesting angle, because it went to show that even well-meaning individuals sometimes can't quite see your point, the whole core of their disagreement was that NMJ couldn't fathom that things just didn't work the same way for people who don't have the background. Meanwhile, Xue Yang just boiled in his own recklessness and spite and even though he got to spend some time with Xiao Xingchen and saw how genuine he is, he still snapped once the charade was over, once his crimes were brought up with no one to hear his side. Sure, the characters may not the most groundbreaking, but they were fleshed out efficiently. Thank you for the video!
I have to disagree with you on what NMJ couldn't fathom on people's backgrounds. The books make it so much clear on NMJ's straight and narrow personality. He couldn't fathom anything or anyone going out of line-like ever. It didn't matter what their background was. He didn't understand people's background, but "not working the same way" is not really how NMJ fell short. It could be Lan Wangji with his perfect looking background and NMJ would still abhor him. The whole core of their disagreement in the novel was FAR different. NMJ personally witnessed slaughtering another JIn guy (during the war might I add) and wanted to take him in for punishment, but JGY put on a sob story and NMJ turned his back and bam JGY struck him and ran for it. NMJ never mentioned this to anyone but WWX saw it when he did empathy with him. The JGY in the show is given more ambiguity to that crime and they turn it into JGY stabbing one of the dudes under NMJ instead of the Jin clan. NMJ has to be pretty damn upright and just to not outright slaughter him right then and there. Or when JGY plays with his sabre when JGY knows NMJ's personal history with Wen Ruohan destroying his father's sabre and taunts him for it. JGY made it personal. And I think that's the one thing the Nie brothers were one bit similar in. You make it personal to their family, they will come after you. NMJ has always been after Wen Rouhan. And then after JGY. Where he failed...Huaisang succeeded.
@@LilyUnicorn Yep, definitely agreed with everything. I only briefly touched upon this since it wasn't the point the video but yeah, theirs was a complicated and a strained relationship. NMJ did gave him chances especially given the things he witnessed and he was never able to fully relax around him + JGY's tendency to push people's buttons when cornered completely sealed their fallout (I think the reason I brought it up was because imo his status allowed NMJ to uphold his morals; he looked at things in a very black-and-white manner, to him JGY was just a bootlicker (a stark contrast to the the humble and hardworking kid he met), sticking up to JGS to keep his position which...is technically not wrong, but perhaps he couldn't *quite* fully grasp that JGY didnt exactly have the same cushion. JGY could grovel and try to appease everyone but a single mistake and he'd be flying out of the gate in a second. NMJ had serious reasons to distrust him and it was ultimately JGY's choice to prioritize his security within the Jins and do...well, everything he did. I still feel like part of the issue was that NMJ lacked the same empathy that LXC showed him.) And NHS is another curious case that could merit a whole piece on its own :D - he finished what NMJ started, but he did so using the same shady tactics his brother abhorred.
The mob essentially represents society, and essentially shows how quickly we can abandon a celebrity or a prominent figure once they show some flaws or did not some bad things or messed with some's profits with their actions. The minute Jin Guangyao's murderous shenanigans are revealed, everyone, almost without hesitation, jumped on board the "rip him apart" train, didn't slow down for a second to deliberate. No "I mean he did build all those watchtowers" or "well under his leadership there was peace for ten odd years" or "well he did shield and help my family when we gave him our allegiance." Absolutely no hesitation. They wanted someone to focus their hate on and one landed directly in their lap. Same thing when they wanted to kill WWX. There were only two person who stopped and said "did you forget all the good things he's done for you? If it weren't for him the Sunshot campaign would've gone on for years. More clans would've been obliterated. All of y'all would've been dead or maimed." It's like we need someone to hate to feel complete.
That's Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's very personal style. She's one of my most favourite authors. She likes to explore the nature of humans, examine all aspects of society as a whole (good and bad side) rather than focusing too much on the "hero defeat villain" thing. Reading her books always leaves a bitter after taste cuz in the end even though the hero still wins, he has lost so much along the way and there were too many tragedies that the ending just doesn't feel that satisfying. Normally I don't read her books when I'm in a happy mode. If you like her style I recommend Tian Guan Si Fu, her other very popular novel, although I think its execution is not as clean and condensed as Mo Dao Zu Shi. I heard it's also being turned into an IP drama.
You're discussion of The Untamed took a turn I did not see coming. Thank you for reminding me that sometimes it is not a single character but many that can be the most villainous character in a story. I like surprises and this surprised me. It was an educational, strong, and convincing discussion we should all take note of in our here and now.
The Untamed is the first drama I've watched that really goes deep and genuinely teaches its audience many valuable life lessons. Just for that reason alone, everyone should watch it.
Watching this video after the 227 AO3 incident with Xiao Zhan and the intense internet bullying that ensued (on both sides), I feel an eerie irony in this whole situation. So many faceless trolls hide behind the internet shield and criticize the other side based on what they believe to be the truth, escalating to personal attacks and vicious curses. I so wish someone like Lan Zhan would come out to tell everyone, "Do not judge until you see the whole picture."
@katiirabbi That was insane indeed! It's crazy how negatively it affected him and his work when he didn't even do anything. That is soooo toxic, I agree. I hope his career is doing better in the future though.
Wow, Re Yi Zha is a hero. It takes courage to fight back, even if you can't win against everyone. Celebrities are people too, and internet trolls should have consequences for the mental and emotional damage they cause.
Especially the death threats, and untrue degrading claims (essentially defamation). Those acts are illegal to start with. The government and companies have to find a way to identify and punish those cowardly criminals who hide behind their computer and phone screens.
There's being on the opposing side, then there's outright murder and joy and scheming. There's no such thing as a good villain. Well fleshed out villains. yes. But anyone who takes their points to the extremes is twisted, vile and often times pyscho. Not a good person.
Jin Guangshan may be a villain but that last 2-3 episodes where he confronts WWX and Jiang Cheng was very beautiful and equally very true. What really resonated with me was his criticism of Jiang Cheng which no character has properly addressed it in the way he did. He said that Jiang Cheng had the power to save WWX from the mob mentality but he chose not to for fear of retaliation. Where the mob mentality gain its greatest strengths is not having a powerful voice to actually side with WWX. Jiang Cheng being his best friend should have stood by WWX because of their convictions but Jiang Cheng was too afraid to stand up against the other sects. He had WWX as a powerful ally and together, who would dare to temp their sect's power? Instead, he was too afraid and was conforming with the 'greater' voice, the voice of condemnation. If you compare episode 32 where all sects wanted WWX dead and to episode 44 where once again, he's being condemned and blamed for all possible evil- the striking difference is of course, LWJ being the one that stood next to him. That at the very least made the mob think twice and slow down a bit and listen to WWX. All of this is reflected in our current society- we need people willing to stand up against opposing views and not be afraid and simply 'join' the loud voice without actual reason. There is absolutely no critical thinking in The Untamed world and the only one who had it was WWX. The reality of Jin Guangshan saying that another person would stand in his place to attack WWX in his first life is based on that anyone who built on the resentful and jealousy of WWX can exploit it. They target WWX because he didn't conform to the group- he didn't follow their rules but his own. Someone who is as powerful as he was at the time and without anything to bind him with is viewed as very dangerous. Who knows on which day, he decides to take over a sect and rule them all, just like Wen sect did?
i don’t think Xue Yang is the villan, like in the general story, he is a bad guy and did bad things, but he’s not a villan. I think the villans are Wen Ruohan and Jin Guanshan. The mob thing is so scary to me. I’m scared to think “what if i have been part of something like that? What if i helped destroy someone’s life thinking i was doing the right thing?”. I usually don’t harass anyone even if i dislike them or what they did, but i don’t know. That’s something i really admired about wei wuxian, when he saw that the crowd was doing to Jin GuanYao the same thing they did to him, he didn’t feel satisfied or revenged, but sad and uneasy, because he knew JGY wasn’t just a bad guy, he had reasons and he felt things and he loved people who cared for him, just like himself.
I spat out my drink when you said Xue Yang's dialogue in that regional accent. It was such a heavy line, really reminds of me of when someone dubbed Xiao Zhan's "why do break ups always happen when it's raining" thing
A prime example of Jin Guangyao's political/social genius: where the Wen clan tried to forcibly take over local clans as enforcement offices which caused their clan's demise from the Sunshot campaign, Jin Guangyao instead created a watchtower system that was happily manned by everyone. Same end goal : create an information network so that the head knows what is going on elsewhere - but the Wens screwed up by trying to do so via force and Jin Guangyao used the soft hand approach.
guang yao & xue yang are great examples of "cool motive, still murder" but also embody the idea of how it can sometimes be too little, too late to be shown kindness the former two & wei ying all have tragic backgrounds, but wei ying had the opportunity to be taken into to the jiang clan, and was showered with love and support, but xue yang & guang yao were already down a dark path when they finally encountered anyone who would even treat them like humans
@@andrezasoares3620 I'm not sure about this. GY's mom loved him incondicionally. Leader Jiang spoiled WY but stood by as his wife abused him. WY got love form his martial sister, but his relationship with his martial "brother" was complicated.
I like her fighting back the crowd about cyber bullying. South Korea just lost a celebrity Sully for the same reason, I will say kudos to her and pray she stays strong and have support from The chinese audience in fighting cyber bullying. I really enjoyed the review on e bad guys in untamed and I will say I couldn’t agree more with you on what happened in the drama. Thanks again for a nice review and your response to the cyber bullying of the celebrity. If the law takes it by giving punishment to the people concerned, just maybe these cowards that hide behind their computers/ screens will begin to learn some lesions.
Now, THIS is an interesting take. I had always contended that the ultimate villain was Jin Guangshan, because JGY would never have become what he was if his father hadn’t rejected him - not to mention how JGS treated the innocent Wen remnants. (The scene with Wen Ning being impaled with the flag and Wen Qing sobbing over his body made me cry nearly as much as Yanli’s death). But this take that the real villain is the faceless mob? That makes perfect sense. You can take it a step further and say the villain is cultivation society itself, where the great clans put on displays of being the epitome of class and dignity - while their smiling faces hid all the greed, prejudice and judgement that set the tragedies in motion.
I still think Wen Ruohan and Jin Guangshan are the real villains if we talk about specific characters. Their bullshit set the wheels in motion for the fall of the Jiang clan, antagonism against Wei Wuxian, and the rise of Jin Guangyao, etc. BUT I love your analysis of how detrimental crowd mentality is, and I definitely agree that the mob is the ultimate antagonist.
I really appreciate the depth and thought that goes into this video. Cyberbullying is unacceptable and I think it is great that you point out the danger of mob/crowd mentality vs individual mentality. The real villains are the people who make judgements without truly trying to understand the situation or have the inflexibility to admit they are wrong after the fact. I hope you continue to make videos and give us more in depth and relating real life perspectives!
this is such a brilliant video! i love your take on the villain situation and i completely agree with you about everything! the mob mentality was something i immediately noticed in the show (like how they go from screaming for wei wuxian's death, to 2 seconds later baying for jin guangyao's blood lol) and it's kinda sad how it really reflects our own societies pretty accurately... for me, the crowd's blind demonising of anyone who goes against the apparent 'norm' was far more cruel and terrifying than any of jin guangyao or xue yang's exploits!
In the drama, and also in all three novels of mxtx, I've always considered mob mentality the actual evil. Her villains are very human and nothing is black and white.
Please next do the MVP (Hero, Villain, In between) of the series. I nominate Nie Huaisang ... he cleared the name of WWX while outwardly looking very weak and feigning ignorance.
Trolls never work alone, they feel save if they are in the mobs and they are disgusting. "if you don't like something, so don't see it, don't hear it, don't comment about it. " It was that simple but then again they are trolls.
tbh, this video reminded me of how I really hated that guy from the crowd who was almost dying until he received help from the Jiang clan, and however he was like one of the main guys to go against Wei Wuxian... such an ungrateful (-bad word-)!
Mob mentality is real and alive. Currently in the U.S. we are seeing it in action in the person of Trump's followers. It's a very scary thing to encounter. Thank you for talking about this very important subject.
I would love to see a review on how Wei WuXian and Jin GuangYao are perfect foils and the crowd mentality behind it. One has honest intentions to help his community, support his family, and find new ways to deal with problems but is viewed to use dishonest means, while the other has been scheming and backstabbing his way to power this whole time, but is viewed as a man of the people. The populace wants to believe Wei WuXian is a villain while those same people want to believe Jin GuangYao is hero, so that’s all they see. Lan XiChen even mentioned seeing Jin GuangYao the way Lan Wanji sees Wei WuXian, so when it’s one word against the other, who can you trust? I thought it was a very interesting g dynamic that could be broken down.
I think the author did a marvellous job of giving all the main characters, the bad characters & side characters good back stories, you really felt you knew them.
So was the current case of XiaoZhan with crazy brainless internet users. In my opinion, both sides were at fault. But definitely not XiaoZhan! He did nothing wrong.
I completely agree that the true villain is ultimately the mob. On a slightly different note, I think it would be an interesting topic to talk about Nie Huaisang. I've seen comments that some think that he's the ultimate villain who causes the demise of Jin Guangyao. I think that the drama makes it more obvious that Nie Huaisang is the mastermind than the novel. @AvenueX What do you think about Director Nie? I think, in a way, WWX is a perfect saintly character because even after his death, he doesn't really blame anyone for his death and doesn't seek revenge for it. In the drama, even before his fall to death, he was ready to die because he thought his death would end all the fighting and atone for Shijie and Jin Zixuan's death. WWX could have become like Xueyang, but didn't. WWX just wanted to do the right thing.
Director Nir is not a bad guy, he is clever and he used the best weapon he has to revenge his brother’s murder, I really can’t call it not justified, especially under the sort of ancient xian xia setting, this kind of revenge would be considered totally morally justifiable, drama ending made him even cooler and kind of made it clear that he really doesn’t care about power, he just wanted his revenge and once that’s done he is content with his low key life
I have found this video so late but I really love it. I like how you explain the true villain of the untamed. People bully others for such little things that I get shocked. WWX had not have good mentality to overcome that mob bullying. He was already mentally weak due to his past with Jiangs. People often do not chose to be evils but made by others. Those two were perfect examples. Thank you so much for this video.
youre so right about the "mob" part. i have been the same once. like i hated a certain character on a drama and commented something bad on the actual actors profile on a review page. i did even forget that. but last night someone replied to the comment that that is basically rude and if the actor ever visits the page that comment would be the first thing he sees. that really got me. i felt super guilty and bad. amd literally wanted to slap my face for being this toxic.
first, thank you for a brilliant analysis! i cannot agree more on your naming the "Mob" as being the ultimate villian in The Untamed world. the parallel you drew between the villian of that world and its current incarnation in our world - the "Internet/SocMed Mob" - is totally on point. yesterday i read that Wang Yibo has finally seen fit to have his lawyers sue some six of these malignant Internet haters because evidently since the phenomenal popularity of The Untamed, its two leads, Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo, have also found themselves hapless victims of this hideous and scary hydra. given the very pertinent social message The Untamed conveyed about the ugliness of mob-mentality and how evil and damaging its effects are, it is sad and ironic to see its two leads now being subjected to something similar. it's almost a case of life imitating art. :(
Great video! I think this is actually the villain in China right now, it is so ridiculous people can decide which drama or wich actress or actor must do this or that, just because they are "fans", they can decide the life of an actor or actress. They threaten to boycott this drama if your producer dares to pair these two. I think the industry must top this at once, people with boring lives think they can attack others just because I don't like you it is so ridiculous. How is it possible this happens in China and South Korea. These people are actors and actresses they have a job that is entertained just that, like any other career.
i think that it was a great choice for the directors to use really famous celebrities for The Untamed. Especially Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan. they were both *heavily* affected by the mob mentality as throughout their career, people have bandwagon hated them for no reason. [For example someone sent Yibo a bloodied shirt through fan mail] This only goes into the theme of the drama that the biggest enemy isn't one person you can see, but rather the pack mentality of the haters.
Wow, this video was absolutely great, first of all when I got the notification I was like out of my seat: Yay, she's talking about my favorite drama again. And also your point of view about the crowd really got my attention, because I haven't thought about it that much. Thank you, it was 20 minutes of joy and sight.
I gotta agree with you that Jin Guangyao carried a major part of The Untamed series in ending half. I really liked WWX and LWJ, and their arcs are so beautiful but these side characters like JGY, Nie Huaiasang (I think I spelt it wrong. Lol), Jiang Cheng, Xue Yang are somehow more interesting... especially that reveal about why Jiang Cheng was actually captured. Man, I was shook. He earned my respect right there. He is a damn good bro. The reason I can't hate these characters, despite them being so annoying and evil sometimes is because they are also so human and I feel a sense of relatability towards them. Jiang Cheng's envy and insecurity, Jin Guangyao's hatred, Xue Yang's desparation...even Jin Ling's confusion. This series...was quite a journey. I was NOT expecting to like it as much as I did. Even though if judged purely from technical point of view, even a layman like me can see a lot of issues. CGI was bad but I live in India, our dramas have just as crappy CGI, if not more. So, not gonna complain. Lol
When I first started reading MDZS, I always thought everything was the QishanWen sect's fault. But when I read on and got to the part on Meng Yao, I didnt really think he was a villian like my friend kept telling me. He hated JGY but shipped him with Lan Xichen hahaha. Anyway, after I finished MDZS, I explained to him that JGY only did things to regain his honor because his father was shitty. He was manipulative behind that pretty smile but he had a reason to be bad (although it shouldnt be an excuse to kill Chefung-zun after he held Meng Yao in high regard). It was the same thing for Xue Yang. I really think you're right about pointing out the mob mentality and it showed during the first siege of burial mounds, Jin Guangshan didnt even need to say more or manipulate the crowd with effort. He just said a few words to Jiang cheng 😭 and they were all ready to fight WWX. Mianmian tried to fight back her own sect but even she became victim to the mob mentality. Those lower sects play dirty.
This whole analysis of yours is perfect. I have never watched anything else as coherently and excellently explained as yours, especially regarding Jin GuangYao, and the still occurring problem “mob mentality” that the real world has. Also from your explanation, this is why as a character Jin GuangYao was very well written and sympathized by many. The whole novel was well-done, it practically teached that no person is completely good or completely evil, and as much as mob mentality as the REAL villain highly affected the circumstances in characters in this novel, it’s also how it is in the real world- that’s what we need to be against.
I really think that the biggest villain in the drama itself is Nie Huaisang (Ji Li) I think he was the actual mastermind of everything (he manipulated everyone, especially the villains), and always appeared as weak, scaredly and friendly (and we never found out the why behind of his actions). Thank you for posting this and your views on the bullying, I do agree with you the crowd/human is the biggest villain, the ego/entitlement, is huge and and dangerous
Amazing analysis! Many people just criticize other people just for fun or attention, and they do not realize or do not care about the implications of their behavior.
They all have sad childhoods…the villains you mentioned and Wei Wuxian and Lan Wanji had very sad childhoods. The difference was how they dealt with the adversity. Wei Wuxian was on the st fighting with dogs for food, and little Lan Zhan lost his mother who was his whole life. They could have chosen anger like the villains, but they chose to help people. Jiang Cheng wasn’t especially good or bad, just self absorbed and jealous of Weiying…but still loved him. Good writing!
This is so true...the REAL villain in MDZS is the mob. Mob mentality and tendecy to gossip. This is one of the reasons I love MXTX's works so much. At the end of the novel, there's this scene where LZ and WY are sitting in a restaurant, eating and they overhear people at a nearby table gossiping about JGY. While it's true that JGY did terrible things, it is also very, very clear that those people are exaggerating... It's like they're pinning any kind of evil thing on one scapegoat (very similar to what had happened to WY in the past) This makes the ending bittersweet because even though WangXian gets a happy ending, society doesn't really change...It's really...depressing...
I agree with your conclusion 100%. We see it so clearly in the drama. And even when I was reading the novel that moment when Xiao XingChen was first brought up, how his sword was used to linchi the Chan cultivator, Lan WangJi says he cannot make a judgement because he has too little facts - I remember thinking that that was exactly it, that's what everyone in Mo Dao Zu Shi's world should be like. Lan XiChen asking Wei WuXian whether he thinks what his father did was right was another moment where they highlight withholding judgement until you know the facts. Later XiChen says you make your judgments based on your perspective when referring to how he always had a better opinion of Jin GuangYao than what was proving to be true. The second raid of burial mounds in the novel plays out with the reader aware by this point that the mob mentality is what's causing the most suffering. And I must agree, Jin GuangYao pointing out the truth at the end of Wei WuXian's demise being inevitable really hits home just how powerful the thoughtless mobs really were. Thanks for a great video! If ever you feel like doing analysis of other tragically affected characters then a vid on Lan XiChen, Jiang Cheng and Nie HuaiSang would be great
Yo, loved your analysis of the ultimate villain of the untamed. really liked your point about the villain not being one specific individual but a faceless many. so often in life people don't stop to think about the other person's pov and just assume that they are right when given little to no evidence.
people have mentioned that the “true villain” of mdzs is the crowd and concept of mob mentality, and this is 100% true, but it goes hand in hand with the class system being the “true villain” of the story as well. it’s not a mistake that the people responsible in a way for a lot of thr story’s events and even some of the paths the main villains went down are all very rich people in considerable positions of power in the cultivation world (talking about jin guangshan, wen ruohan, wen chao, etc).
Great commentary on the true villain of Untamed, the psychology of the mob and social media. I don't feel quite as icky about "falling" as hard as I did for Xue Yang now 😂😂😂. The bad side of social media is been something that I've been thinking and reading about a lot the past few years. Even more so, with the recent passing of Victoria Song's former bandmate, Sulli. I've made a few friends around the world with it, so thankfully I've experienced the good side of SM mostly. However, when I see it get ugly, it does so in the absolute worst way. It's part of the reason why I consider myself semi retired from Twitter now.
I'm planning to rewatch the Untamed on Netflix. You were right to discuss bullying. My thoughts were on karma before you mentioned it. I was married to a person like one of the villians. That's why Xichen is my favorite character. My we all become more like him in the age of Aquarius. Thanks for your insights.
Thank you for making this video and I wholeheartedly agree! The social commentary is actually one of the biggest reasons that MDZS (and consequently the Untamed) is in my top favorite novels. This is actually a big theme for MXTX, but it's examined wonderfully in MDZS. It's sad how most people do not even realise how one bad thing they say and soon forget can be the critical hit for another person.
You are so very good at expressing your thoughts. I really will try to be aware in the future of when I might be in danger of becoming part of a mob mentality. None of us are immune to this. We are all human & are capable of doing awful things if we aren’t careful & thoughtful. Thanks. (Btw, I already ordered my WWX & LZ pins!)
I admire you on hownyounwerenablento sum this all up, since this made perfect sense...since this things happen in real life, bullying is such a distraughtful event in ones life that leaves permanent scars,and as much as I am concerned, I couldn't agree more from what you have just said... I despise people who highly thought of themselves overlooking the reality that they somehow be damaging someones life just because they thought they are perfect, and whenever it backfires on them, they couldn't handle the burn of a the recoil. What a joke... and Thank You for this....
The rooftop scene was one of the scene I cried to when he stood there all by himself. Actually, one of my favorite dialog and scene in the entire drama too. It was so well acted and delivered that you realize the injustice Wei Wuxian went through yet no one tried to even listen. Additionally, I find myself empathizing with Xue Yang more than Jin Guangyao although they are both villains of the story. I think it might be more so on the fact that Xue Yang was upfront with how evil he is while JGY was hiding behind a facade. So, even at the end of the drama, it makes me wonder, up to where was he telling the truth and up to where was he trying to evoke sympathy in others? He’s also very good with his words so that’s also why I think JGY was “scarier” as a villain than Xue Yang (although they’re not too far from each others in terms of being evil and scary 😅). While for XY, b/c he is upfront with his evilness, his actions of regrets and desire to bring XXC back makes it “easier” for me to empathize with him.
Wow it was amazing video. I thought you are going to name one of xueyang and jinguangyao as the evilest villain. I liked it that you focused on few characters and digged their back stories. Hope you will do more of these kinds of videos.
Thanks for the great concern and effort. For my sake I noted points though it was about the untamed but it's really cool for me and the untamed shipping. Thanks again 🤗 🤗
You can not be anymore right than this. Even the first dialogue of the drama is them shouting whatever they want. And when wwx lampshaded the fact to lwj about it? So true. Good video.
Great video!!! Can you make a video analysis of Nie Huai Sang, is he the one who orchested everything? I have read the novel and watched the series but I just can not really believe it
AvenueX -Thank you for bringing this to the fore front - the MOB mentality. It is systemic in human society due to our programming to be a part of society "like everyone else". This is the core issue - like everyone else to be accepted - The leads as you have said stuck to their truth and did not give in to social expectations - this is the other core issue in Untamed also - instead of spoon feeding - everyone is given a choice do you want to be your authentic original self or societies version on what one should be - this played out in making the film on a smaller budget, lack of best skills in tech fines, acting pitfalls, viewers censor ship and bullying and most of all the censorship of the industry and yet still saying what you wanted to in out of the box ways. All can be classified into some form of mob mentality and standing on your own in your moral conviction of right thing to do for you. There are so many layers to this if looked at closely even more. AvenueX you have done a great job thank you i am so glad you did.
I love how u talked abt the villains. Instead of just focusing on the good guys we shld also discuss abt the bad guys too bc like u said a good guy is only as good as a villain. I actually watched this whole vid without fast forwarding at all.
After watching the series I wondered whether Xue Yang wanted to revive Xiao Zingchen because he wanted to kill him himself or to keep him around because he liked having him around as a "friend". And yes I agree with you on the whole mob mentality. Great video.
I agree entirely. Unfortunately I am not able to remember his name but the one character who totally embodied the principle was that middle-aged heavy-set leader of a small nameless sect who was always the first one to sniff the way the crowd was leaning, then stand up and pronounce that for all righteous and proper reasons we must condemn that person. He was so consistent I ended up naming him Lynch Mob Leader in my head canon. He was as much a main villain as the other two, causing as much trouble but for no reason other than wanting to look virtuous by pointing at the easiest target and whipping the mob into an active frenzy. We should not forget to doubt the motives of anyone who tries to lead a mob more than we do the person they are chasing at the moment.
Watching this make me look at The Untamed differently. Btw did u know that the real mastermind is actually Nie HuaiSang!? I was so shocked when I found out. He apparently found mo xuanyu as a sacrifice for Wei Wuxian/ Wei Ying/ yi Ling Lao Zu nad summoned him so that Nie huaisang can discover the truth of his brother(nie mingjue)
Yay, I'm so excited you've put up another untamed video. I'm just starting it, literally 15seconds in, and my answer to this question is more i the vein of Jin GuangShan than any of the typical options. I look forward to hear your analysis/thoughts, so I'm jumping in now
Another thing is how fandom tends to handwave both Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huaisang's callous villainy. One doesn't stand up for Wen Ning who saves him, not for Wen Qing whom he professed to love, and while the sister is mourning goes off to kill his brother! Huaisang on the other hand doesn't help the elder brother Nie Mingjue in the war, doesn't learn to play Clarity for his health, and aggravates his illness by disobeying and quarrelling with him. Later he uses Mo Xuanyu to bring Wei Wuxian back - but when people were baying to attack the Burial Mounds did he try to ever defend his friend? Nope! He just wants to use him. Indeed, Huaisang manipulated Zewu-Jun into killing his friend, put many junior cultivators like Sizhui, Jingyi, Zizhen, Jin Ling into harm's way repeatedly whether Mo village, Yi city or the BM.
There was so much tragedy in this show and honestly the inevitability of the mob's misunderstandings and hatreds is the most tragic. Also, maybe it's just a topic that means a lot to you, but I"m really getting the impression that the Chinese internet is full of bullies... and I say that as someone who has been bullied online on the English internet. Though logically, I can't imagine the Chinese internet is worse than the English one. People are people, bullies are bullies, and exist everywhere.
I agree 100% with you on everything you commented about the "mob mentality." Sadly it doesn't just apply to the internet, it also occurs in real life away from the internet (school bullying, genocides, etc).
Yes, it is too easy to turn against someone, a few people that can be counted with fingers on one hand can turn into hundreds, thousands. With today's technology, it is even easier, and it especially hard for someone who is popular or in the spotlight. How much credibility do we give to these people who we know nothing about sprouting things about someone whom we have only seen their picture online. It is almost scary, how willing we are to believe these things. I believe partly stems from our apathy, not caring to seek the truth and not willing to understand enough. It has no personal connection to us, and what we do or say against them, we will probably forget the next day or week. When we gang up on someone we feel is bad, there is this intrinsic pleasure we feel from doing something we believe is good, from being part of this group who share the same feelings about something. We are justified because everyone else feels the same; this must be true because everyone around me says the same thing. An unwillingness to think for ourselves because someone else had set the path for us already, or a fear of thinking something different and invoking the crowd's ire. I believe MDZS gives pretty good examples of the types of people in the mob: Yao sect leader: the type to be easily swayed and convinced into group think, and acts smart and speaks out for it as if it was their original idea all along. The kid who shoots the arrow into Wei Ying: the type to be easily misled and act on behalf of "justice" The kid who kills Jiang Yanli for revenge: the type who believe they should bear no consequences for their actions just because they are always "right" Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao: those who try to manipulate group think for their own benefits Jiang Chen: too scared to go against group think, and in a sense, manipulates himself into thinking like the crowd The rest of them bystanders: sort of going along with them even though they don't know anything for the sake of being like the rest of them.
Well said! I was curious what this video was ultimately going to be about, and the mod mentality is definitely it! If every (even most) individual used critical thinking (as you mentioned) and did their own fact checking, the individual villains would have no followers... ohhhh, humanity! Thank you for your insightful video.
I agree mob because after wei saves them and they find out it wasn’t him doing all these bad thing they ask him to help take down the villain of the day it’s so crazy...yep I believe in karma there is a saying in our family what goes around comes around and treat someone like you want to be treated. I think a lot of families believe this at least I hope
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The thematic use of a crowd in this drama is actually terrifyingly effective. The way they cry to kill Wei Wuxian is exactly the way they rally to kill Jin Guangyao, and you're stuck thinking, "Well you've got the right guy now, but..."
On another note, both Xue Yang and Jin Guangyao are perfect embodiments of "Cool motive, still murder."
And also Xiao Xingchen is a Greek tragic hero, you can't change my mind.
I strongly agree with everything you just said.
More fanfiction you read...😄😄😄
Nah xiao xingchen and song lan are the tragic romeo and juliet
True. XXC is the ultimate tragic character.
Honestly, the way that the way my boi was finally vindicated and seen as not the big villain and all of Lan Guangyao's evil doings are revealed but instead of the relief and vindication we should be feeling.... It's just disgust. Perfect story telling.
Jin Guangshan doesn't get talked about enough for being one of the big villains of the show. I actually find him to be far more irredeemable as a character than either Meng Yao or Xue Yang. At least with those two, it's easy to imagine how even one different choice could have completely changed the course of their lives for the better, but JGS had no discernible motive for being the way he was and it's hard to imagine any alternate course of events that would have changed him as a person in a positive way. He's the epitome of a one dimensional villain, and his actions also directly lead to all of Meng Yao's.
Also very good point about the cultivation society in general being the overarching villain of the story. They move their target from one person to the next so quickly and easily, to the point that they don't actually care about what's right or wrong they just want someone to blame and gossip about all the time. Even the way they instantly shifted their focus off of Wei Ying and onto getting the stygian tiger amulet showed their hypocrisy. They never cared about whether he was actually evil or not, they were just jealous of the power he held.
I agree, the villains in the novel was definitely the Cultivation World. The Mob Mentality in the story was heavily evident. I think a good phrase to describe the scene where WWX throws the arrow back to the man who meant to shoot him and told the crowd that it shouldn't be a big deal if it's okay for you to do that to me. "Throwing rocks in a glass house", or "Don't dish out what you can't take back in."
In comparison to WWX, JGY and XY, the 'elite' Cultivators from the big clans and sects had more reason to act more dignified and responsible than those three did because of their 'legitimate birth'🙄. The Cultivation World thought themselves better than WWX, JGY and XY but was completely fine with using them for their own gain and then discarding them - sometimes publicly - without stopping to think about the consequences of their actions. (I also think NMJ was killed not just because he was a threat to JGY & JGS but because NMJ could have swayed other people into acknowledging that JGY didn't deserve a position of power due to lack of empathy and sacrifice on JGY's part and not because he was a 'Son of a Prostitute'. JGY's famous trigger words.)
JGY is a horrible person indeed but his 'Forever a F**kboy' Father helped him become worse. NMJ is the MVP of the story all together for me. Yes, NHS orchestrated WWX coming back and unveiling JGY''s lies but NMJ's death was the catalyst for everything since WWX would not have come back if NHS didn't feel forced into doing so because of his brother's death and desecration of his corpse. JGY, JGS and XY were wrecking havoc for years before WWX came back but his brother's death was the reason the story continued and JGY and XY was stopped. Though throughout the book, there were many times that the ordinary people of the world (those who didn't cultivate or who wanted to live mundane lives), were at the mercy of the Cultivators! Like, was there no Checks & Balances for Cultivators? Who do they answer to when they need to take responsibility for their actions?! No one and that's sounds villainy.
No one in MDSZ was perfect (except A-Yuan of course!) and it's one of the reasons why I love this story: it has a good selection of morally ambiguous characters that you don't see in media from Chinese dramas nowadays. There's so much to talk about when it comes to MDZS but that would take forever! 🤣 Thank you for the video!
I agree with the point about the mob mentality . Infact Wei Ying noted it himself in one episode ( it was 45/46 I think) . Mengyao's dad was a douche and I think the way he met his end is well deserved . I don't endorse the means mengyao used but I think we can all agree that we secretly wanted that pervert old man to get a taste of what he inflicted on others.
I have thought exactly the same after reading Mo Dao Zu Shi! The worst villain of the story is clearly the crowd with it's harmful mob mentality.
So true
I loved that you talked about this. I was hoping to hear someone talk about this. What made The Untamed really stand out for me was exactly this. The clear social commentary on the mob mentality broke my heart because it's very real.
It's terrifyingly sad that Xiao Zhan who played a character in a dramawhich showcases the harm of mob mentality himself became a villain in the eyes of the internet mob . These are the times I wish life didn't imitate art so closely.
This is so true! The same crowd that the day before wanted WWX dead then turned immediately on JGY, their leader with very little real evidence that suddenly showed up on their doorstep. Then they turn to him for help without any apologies. It's terrifying! Doubly so that the "mob mentality" is such a real thing. This really is something that should be talked more especially with this faceless internet culture. Thank you for starting this conversation!
yes they never say sorry to him even when they learned the truth! or ask innocents wen's clans forgiveness
This always reminds me of that one line in which WWX says that both their admiration and hatred is so cheap. It really shows. He always knew how fake these people were.
Oh my gosh, I 100% agree with you. That's how I felt while watching the drama as well. You can even see in the scene where the mob starts to change their opinion towards Wei Wuxian and turn their hate towards Jin Guangyao. Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan look at each other and you can see in their eyes how tired and disgusted they are with these people, and they just walk away. It really struck a chord with me just how pointless it all really was, and how tragic because of that.
This is exactly why Wei Ying said that both their admiration and hatred is cheap before he died. It also disgusts me how they still assumed Wei Ying had bad intentions after saving their lives even though he knew they only came to kill him. Like he saved the ones who wanted to kill him for the second time. And then a few hours later two women come and tell some stories and suddenly the whole cultivation world wants his help and even calls him nicely and not Yiling Patriarch. Like I’m really getting problems with my aggressions just thinking about all these shitty people, especially Clan Leader Yao. He’s always the first one to say things that make no sense at all.
Beautifully summarized. One thing I think the author did really well, probably one of the aspects that sold me on the story, is how nicely she managed to frame the thematic aspect of the story - the novel begins with anonymous people gossiping and celebrating Wei Wuxian's passing, and it ends (the 'official' end, not the extra chapters) with anonymous people gossiping about the events at the Guanyin temple, and it is especially striking given that, as a reader, you just experienced those events unfold and you know how off some of those rumors were. Something The Untamed did that nicely I think, was the way they mirrored the mob cries
In the end that is really the whole point, I feel like. Someone always has to be the scapegoat and when people don't care to get in the other person's shoes when they see them as this distant figure you end up with this violent mob mentality. Sure, JGY was framed as the prime antagonist and his actions were indeed abhorrent, but not all of that would've happened if he wasn't brought down at every turn (and if he didn't get to witness his mother this humiliated) The whole story with Nie Mingjue also took an interesting angle, because it went to show that even well-meaning individuals sometimes can't quite see your point, the whole core of their disagreement was that NMJ couldn't fathom that things just didn't work the same way for people who don't have the background. Meanwhile, Xue Yang just boiled in his own recklessness and spite and even though he got to spend some time with Xiao Xingchen and saw how genuine he is, he still snapped once the charade was over, once his crimes were brought up with no one to hear his side. Sure, the characters may not the most groundbreaking, but they were fleshed out efficiently.
Thank you for the video!
I have to disagree with you on what NMJ couldn't fathom on people's backgrounds. The books make it so much clear on NMJ's straight and narrow personality. He couldn't fathom anything or anyone going out of line-like ever. It didn't matter what their background was. He didn't understand people's background, but "not working the same way" is not really how NMJ fell short. It could be Lan Wangji with his perfect looking background and NMJ would still abhor him. The whole core of their disagreement in the novel was FAR different. NMJ personally witnessed slaughtering another JIn guy (during the war might I add) and wanted to take him in for punishment, but JGY put on a sob story and NMJ turned his back and bam JGY struck him and ran for it. NMJ never mentioned this to anyone but WWX saw it when he did empathy with him. The JGY in the show is given more ambiguity to that crime and they turn it into JGY stabbing one of the dudes under NMJ instead of the Jin clan. NMJ has to be pretty damn upright and just to not outright slaughter him right then and there. Or when JGY plays with his sabre when JGY knows NMJ's personal history with Wen Ruohan destroying his father's sabre and taunts him for it. JGY made it personal. And I think that's the one thing the Nie brothers were one bit similar in. You make it personal to their family, they will come after you. NMJ has always been after Wen Rouhan. And then after JGY. Where he failed...Huaisang succeeded.
@@LilyUnicorn Yep, definitely agreed with everything. I only briefly touched upon this since it wasn't the point the video but yeah, theirs was a complicated and a strained relationship. NMJ did gave him chances especially given the things he witnessed and he was never able to fully relax around him + JGY's tendency to push people's buttons when cornered completely sealed their fallout (I think the reason I brought it up was because imo his status allowed NMJ to uphold his morals; he looked at things in a very black-and-white manner, to him JGY was just a bootlicker (a stark contrast to the the humble and hardworking kid he met), sticking up to JGS to keep his position which...is technically not wrong, but perhaps he couldn't *quite* fully grasp that JGY didnt exactly have the same cushion. JGY could grovel and try to appease everyone but a single mistake and he'd be flying out of the gate in a second. NMJ had serious reasons to distrust him and it was ultimately JGY's choice to prioritize his security within the Jins and do...well, everything he did. I still feel like part of the issue was that NMJ lacked the same empathy that LXC showed him.)
And NHS is another curious case that could merit a whole piece on its own :D - he finished what NMJ started, but he did so using the same shady tactics his brother abhorred.
Excellent point about the beginning and the end of the novel!
The mob essentially represents society, and essentially shows how quickly we can abandon a celebrity or a prominent figure once they show some flaws or did not some bad things or messed with some's profits with their actions. The minute Jin Guangyao's murderous shenanigans are revealed, everyone, almost without hesitation, jumped on board the "rip him apart" train, didn't slow down for a second to deliberate. No "I mean he did build all those watchtowers" or "well under his leadership there was peace for ten odd years" or "well he did shield and help my family when we gave him our allegiance." Absolutely no hesitation. They wanted someone to focus their hate on and one landed directly in their lap.
Same thing when they wanted to kill WWX. There were only two person who stopped and said "did you forget all the good things he's done for you? If it weren't for him the Sunshot campaign would've gone on for years. More clans would've been obliterated. All of y'all would've been dead or maimed."
It's like we need someone to hate to feel complete.
That's Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's very personal style. She's one of my most favourite authors. She likes to explore the nature of humans, examine all aspects of society as a whole (good and bad side) rather than focusing too much on the "hero defeat villain" thing. Reading her books always leaves a bitter after taste cuz in the end even though the hero still wins, he has lost so much along the way and there were too many tragedies that the ending just doesn't feel that satisfying. Normally I don't read her books when I'm in a happy mode. If you like her style I recommend Tian Guan Si Fu, her other very popular novel, although I think its execution is not as clean and condensed as Mo Dao Zu Shi. I heard it's also being turned into an IP drama.
You're discussion of The Untamed took a turn I did not see coming. Thank you for reminding me that sometimes it is not a single character but many that can be the most villainous character in a story. I like surprises and this surprised me. It was an educational, strong, and convincing discussion we should all take note of in our here and now.
😘
The Untamed is the first drama I've watched that really goes deep and genuinely teaches its audience many valuable life lessons. Just for that reason alone, everyone should watch it.
rgt
Watching this video after the 227 AO3 incident with Xiao Zhan and the intense internet bullying that ensued (on both sides), I feel an eerie irony in this whole situation. So many faceless trolls hide behind the internet shield and criticize the other side based on what they believe to be the truth, escalating to personal attacks and vicious curses. I so wish someone like Lan Zhan would come out to tell everyone, "Do not judge until you see the whole picture."
@katiirabbi That was insane indeed! It's crazy how negatively it affected him and his work when he didn't even do anything. That is soooo toxic, I agree. I hope his career is doing better in the future though.
Wow, Re Yi Zha is a hero. It takes courage to fight back, even if you can't win against everyone. Celebrities are people too, and internet trolls should have consequences for the mental and emotional damage they cause.
Especially the death threats, and untrue degrading claims (essentially defamation). Those acts are illegal to start with. The government and companies have to find a way to identify and punish those cowardly criminals who hide behind their computer and phone screens.
I think good villains are still characters and some what just the characters on the opposing side of our hero.
There's being on the opposing side, then there's outright murder and joy and scheming. There's no such thing as a good villain. Well fleshed out villains. yes. But anyone who takes their points to the extremes is twisted, vile and often times pyscho. Not a good person.
Good isn’t meant as good in like them being a good person but more like the quality of the character...
As in your hero is only as good as your villain...
Though I don’t entirely agree with the sentiment
Jin Guangshan may be a villain but that last 2-3 episodes where he confronts WWX and Jiang Cheng was very beautiful and equally very true. What really resonated with me was his criticism of Jiang Cheng which no character has properly addressed it in the way he did. He said that Jiang Cheng had the power to save WWX from the mob mentality but he chose not to for fear of retaliation. Where the mob mentality gain its greatest strengths is not having a powerful voice to actually side with WWX. Jiang Cheng being his best friend should have stood by WWX because of their convictions but Jiang Cheng was too afraid to stand up against the other sects. He had WWX as a powerful ally and together, who would dare to temp their sect's power? Instead, he was too afraid and was conforming with the 'greater' voice, the voice of condemnation.
If you compare episode 32 where all sects wanted WWX dead and to episode 44 where once again, he's being condemned and blamed for all possible evil- the striking difference is of course, LWJ being the one that stood next to him. That at the very least made the mob think twice and slow down a bit and listen to WWX. All of this is reflected in our current society- we need people willing to stand up against opposing views and not be afraid and simply 'join' the loud voice without actual reason. There is absolutely no critical thinking in The Untamed world and the only one who had it was WWX.
The reality of Jin Guangshan saying that another person would stand in his place to attack WWX in his first life is based on that anyone who built on the resentful and jealousy of WWX can exploit it. They target WWX because he didn't conform to the group- he didn't follow their rules but his own. Someone who is as powerful as he was at the time and without anything to bind him with is viewed as very dangerous. Who knows on which day, he decides to take over a sect and rule them all, just like Wen sect did?
i don’t think Xue Yang is the villan, like in the general story, he is a bad guy and did bad things, but he’s not a villan. I think the villans are Wen Ruohan and Jin Guanshan.
The mob thing is so scary to me. I’m scared to think “what if i have been part of something like that? What if i helped destroy someone’s life thinking i was doing the right thing?”. I usually don’t harass anyone even if i dislike them or what they did, but i don’t know. That’s something i really admired about wei wuxian, when he saw that the crowd was doing to Jin GuanYao the same thing they did to him, he didn’t feel satisfied or revenged, but sad and uneasy, because he knew JGY wasn’t just a bad guy, he had reasons and he felt things and he loved people who cared for him, just like himself.
I spat out my drink when you said Xue Yang's dialogue in that regional accent. It was such a heavy line, really reminds of me of when someone dubbed Xiao Zhan's "why do break ups always happen when it's raining" thing
分手总在下雨天？lol
@@AvenueX123 为撒子分嗖总在下雨天？？？
A prime example of Jin Guangyao's political/social genius: where the Wen clan tried to forcibly take over local clans as enforcement offices which caused their clan's demise from the Sunshot campaign, Jin Guangyao instead created a watchtower system that was happily manned by everyone. Same end goal : create an information network so that the head knows what is going on elsewhere - but the Wens screwed up by trying to do so via force and Jin Guangyao used the soft hand approach.
guang yao & xue yang are great examples of "cool motive, still murder" but also embody the idea of how it can sometimes be too little, too late to be shown kindness
the former two & wei ying all have tragic backgrounds, but wei ying had the opportunity to be taken into to the jiang clan, and was showered with love and support, but xue yang & guang yao were already down a dark path when they finally encountered anyone who would even treat them like humans
Wow...that's such an interesting thing you noticed. I never thought that way.
@@andrezasoares3620 I'm not sure about this. GY's mom loved him incondicionally. Leader Jiang spoiled WY but stood by as his wife abused him. WY got love form his martial sister, but his relationship with his martial "brother" was complicated.
I like her fighting back the crowd about cyber bullying. South Korea just lost a celebrity Sully for the same reason, I will say kudos to her and pray she stays strong and have support from The chinese audience in fighting cyber bullying. I really enjoyed the review on e bad guys in untamed and I will say I couldn’t agree more with you on what happened in the drama. Thanks again for a nice review and your response to the cyber bullying of the celebrity. If the law takes it by giving punishment to the people concerned, just maybe these cowards that hide behind their computers/ screens will begin to learn some lesions.
Xue Yang is my baby. Nobody can hurt him fite me.
Now, THIS is an interesting take. I had always contended that the ultimate villain was Jin Guangshan, because JGY would never have become what he was if his father hadn’t rejected him - not to mention how JGS treated the innocent Wen remnants. (The scene with Wen Ning being impaled with the flag and Wen Qing sobbing over his body made me cry nearly as much as Yanli’s death). But this take that the real villain is the faceless mob? That makes perfect sense. You can take it a step further and say the villain is cultivation society itself, where the great clans put on displays of being the epitome of class and dignity - while their smiling faces hid all the greed, prejudice and judgement that set the tragedies in motion.
I still think Wen Ruohan and Jin Guangshan are the real villains if we talk about specific characters. Their bullshit set the wheels in motion for the fall of the Jiang clan, antagonism against Wei Wuxian, and the rise of Jin Guangyao, etc.
BUT I love your analysis of how detrimental crowd mentality is, and I definitely agree that the mob is the ultimate antagonist.
reading this almost a year later of the AO3 incident. Xiao Zhan speech on the roof becomes so meta.
I really appreciate the depth and thought that goes into this video. Cyberbullying is unacceptable and I think it is great that you point out the danger of mob/crowd mentality vs individual mentality. The real villains are the people who make judgements without truly trying to understand the situation or have the inflexibility to admit they are wrong after the fact. I hope you continue to make videos and give us more in depth and relating real life perspectives!
this is such a brilliant video! i love your take on the villain situation and i completely agree with you about everything! the mob mentality was something i immediately noticed in the show (like how they go from screaming for wei wuxian's death, to 2 seconds later baying for jin guangyao's blood lol) and it's kinda sad how it really reflects our own societies pretty accurately... for me, the crowd's blind demonising of anyone who goes against the apparent 'norm' was far more cruel and terrifying than any of jin guangyao or xue yang's exploits!
In the drama, and also in all three novels of mxtx, I've always considered mob mentality the actual evil. Her villains are very human and nothing is black and white.
To the point it seems to me it's her way to offer her own criticism on society
Please next do the MVP (Hero, Villain, In between) of the series. I nominate Nie Huaisang ... he cleared the name of WWX while outwardly looking very weak and feigning ignorance.
Trolls never work alone, they feel save if they are in the mobs and they are disgusting. "if you don't like something, so don't see it, don't hear it, don't comment about it. "
It was that simple but then again they are trolls.
tbh, this video reminded me of how I really hated that guy from the crowd who was almost dying until he received help from the Jiang clan, and however he was like one of the main guys to go against Wei Wuxian... such an ungrateful (-bad word-)!
Mob mentality is real and alive. Currently in the U.S. we are seeing it in action in the person of Trump's followers. It's a very scary thing to encounter. Thank you for talking about this very important subject.
I would love to see a review on how Wei WuXian and Jin GuangYao are perfect foils and the crowd mentality behind it. One has honest intentions to help his community, support his family, and find new ways to deal with problems but is viewed to use dishonest means, while the other has been scheming and backstabbing his way to power this whole time, but is viewed as a man of the people. The populace wants to believe Wei WuXian is a villain while those same people want to believe Jin GuangYao is hero, so that’s all they see. Lan XiChen even mentioned seeing Jin GuangYao the way Lan Wanji sees Wei WuXian, so when it’s one word against the other, who can you trust? I thought it was a very interesting g dynamic that could be broken down.
I think the author did a marvellous job of giving all the main characters, the bad characters & side characters good back stories, you really felt you knew them.
So was the current case of XiaoZhan with crazy brainless internet users. In my opinion, both sides were at fault. But definitely not XiaoZhan! He did nothing wrong.
It reminds me of a quote from Men In Black (1997):
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you known it."
I completely agree that the true villain is ultimately the mob.
On a slightly different note, I think it would be an interesting topic to talk about Nie Huaisang. I've seen comments that some think that he's the ultimate villain who causes the demise of Jin Guangyao. I think that the drama makes it more obvious that Nie Huaisang is the mastermind than the novel. @AvenueX What do you think about Director Nie?
I think, in a way, WWX is a perfect saintly character because even after his death, he doesn't really blame anyone for his death and doesn't seek revenge for it. In the drama, even before his fall to death, he was ready to die because he thought his death would end all the fighting and atone for Shijie and Jin Zixuan's death. WWX could have become like Xueyang, but didn't. WWX just wanted to do the right thing.
Director Nir is not a bad guy, he is clever and he used the best weapon he has to revenge his brother’s murder, I really can’t call it not justified, especially under the sort of ancient xian xia setting, this kind of revenge would be considered totally morally justifiable, drama ending made him even cooler and kind of made it clear that he really doesn’t care about power, he just wanted his revenge and once that’s done he is content with his low key life
I have found this video so late but I really love it. I like how you explain the true villain of the untamed. People bully others for such little things that I get shocked. WWX had not have good mentality to overcome that mob bullying. He was already mentally weak due to his past with Jiangs. People often do not chose to be evils but made by others. Those two were perfect examples. Thank you so much for this video.
youre so right about the "mob" part.
i have been the same once. like i hated a certain character on a drama and commented something bad on the actual actors profile on a review page. i did even forget that. but last night someone replied to the comment that that is basically rude and if the actor ever visits the page that comment would be the first thing he sees. that really got me. i felt super guilty and bad. amd literally wanted to slap my face for being this toxic.
first, thank you for a brilliant analysis! i cannot agree more on your naming the "Mob" as being the ultimate villian in The Untamed world. the parallel you drew between the villian of that world and its current incarnation in our world - the "Internet/SocMed Mob" - is totally on point.
yesterday i read that Wang Yibo has finally seen fit to have his lawyers sue some six of these malignant Internet haters because evidently since the phenomenal popularity of The Untamed, its two leads, Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo, have also found themselves hapless victims of this hideous and scary hydra.
given the very pertinent social message The Untamed conveyed about the ugliness of mob-mentality and how evil and damaging its effects are, it is sad and ironic to see its two leads now being subjected to something similar. it's almost a case of life imitating art. :(
I like your comments. You do learn something from the story. I hope people will be kind to others.
Great video! I think this is actually the villain in China right now, it is so ridiculous people can decide which drama or wich actress or actor must do this or that, just because they are "fans", they can decide the life of an actor or actress. They threaten to boycott this drama if your producer dares to pair these two.
I think the industry must top this at once, people with boring lives think they can attack others just because I don't like you it is so ridiculous. How is it possible this happens in China and South Korea.
These people are actors and actresses they have a job that is entertained just that, like any other career.
i think that it was a great choice for the directors to use really famous celebrities for The Untamed.
Especially Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan. they were both *heavily* affected by the mob mentality as throughout their career, people have bandwagon hated them for no reason. [For example someone sent Yibo a bloodied shirt through fan mail] This only goes into the theme of the drama that the biggest enemy isn't one person you can see, but rather the pack mentality of the haters.
Brilliant critique!
Wow, this video was absolutely great, first of all when I got the notification I was like out of my seat: Yay, she's talking about my favorite drama again. And also your point of view about the crowd really got my attention, because I haven't thought about it that much. Thank you, it was 20 minutes of joy and sight.
I gotta agree with you that Jin Guangyao carried a major part of The Untamed series in ending half. I really liked WWX and LWJ, and their arcs are so beautiful but these side characters like JGY, Nie Huaiasang (I think I spelt it wrong. Lol), Jiang Cheng, Xue Yang are somehow more interesting... especially that reveal about why Jiang Cheng was actually captured. Man, I was shook. He earned my respect right there. He is a damn good bro. The reason I can't hate these characters, despite them being so annoying and evil sometimes is because they are also so human and I feel a sense of relatability towards them. Jiang Cheng's envy and insecurity, Jin Guangyao's hatred, Xue Yang's desparation...even Jin Ling's confusion.
This series...was quite a journey. I was NOT expecting to like it as much as I did. Even though if judged purely from technical point of view, even a layman like me can see a lot of issues. CGI was bad but I live in India, our dramas have just as crappy CGI, if not more. So, not gonna complain. Lol
When I first started reading MDZS, I always thought everything was the QishanWen sect's fault. But when I read on and got to the part on Meng Yao, I didnt really think he was a villian like my friend kept telling me. He hated JGY but shipped him with Lan Xichen hahaha. Anyway, after I finished MDZS, I explained to him that JGY only did things to regain his honor because his father was shitty. He was manipulative behind that pretty smile but he had a reason to be bad (although it shouldnt be an excuse to kill Chefung-zun after he held Meng Yao in high regard). It was the same thing for Xue Yang. I really think you're right about pointing out the mob mentality and it showed during the first siege of burial mounds, Jin Guangshan didnt even need to say more or manipulate the crowd with effort. He just said a few words to Jiang cheng 😭 and they were all ready to fight WWX. Mianmian tried to fight back her own sect but even she became victim to the mob mentality. Those lower sects play dirty.
This whole analysis of yours is perfect. I have never watched anything else as coherently and excellently explained as yours, especially regarding Jin GuangYao, and the still occurring problem “mob mentality” that the real world has. Also from your explanation, this is why as a character Jin GuangYao was very well written and sympathized by many. The whole novel was well-done, it practically teached that no person is completely good or completely evil, and as much as mob mentality as the REAL villain highly affected the circumstances in characters in this novel, it’s also how it is in the real world- that’s what we need to be against.
I really think that the biggest villain in the drama itself is Nie Huaisang (Ji Li) I think he was the actual mastermind of everything (he manipulated everyone, especially the villains), and always appeared as weak, scaredly and friendly (and we never found out the why behind of his actions).
Thank you for posting this and your views on the bullying, I do agree with you the crowd/human is the biggest villain, the ego/entitlement, is huge and and dangerous
Nie Huaisang only plotted to expose Jin Guangyao in order to revenge his brother. He is not a villain as he has no ill intentions.
OMG, thank u for this video, I'm a great of Xue Yang's character, he is the only reason to rewatch The Untamed for me
Amazing analysis! Many people just criticize other people just for fun or attention, and they do not realize or do not care about the implications of their behavior.
This is a wonderful commentary, thank you for this.
They all have sad childhoods…the villains you mentioned and Wei Wuxian and Lan Wanji had very sad childhoods. The difference was how they dealt with the adversity. Wei Wuxian was on the st fighting with dogs for food, and little Lan Zhan lost his mother who was his whole life. They could have chosen anger like the villains, but they chose to help people. Jiang Cheng wasn’t especially good or bad, just self absorbed and jealous of Weiying…but still loved him. Good writing!
This is so true...the REAL villain in MDZS is the mob. Mob mentality and tendecy to gossip. This is one of the reasons I love MXTX's works so much.
At the end of the novel, there's this scene where LZ and WY are sitting in a restaurant, eating and they overhear people at a nearby table gossiping about JGY. While it's true that JGY did terrible things, it is also very, very clear that those people are exaggerating... It's like they're pinning any kind of evil thing on one scapegoat (very similar to what had happened to WY in the past)
This makes the ending bittersweet because even though WangXian gets a happy ending, society doesn't really change...It's really...depressing...
I agree with your conclusion 100%. We see it so clearly in the drama. And even when I was reading the novel that moment when Xiao XingChen was first brought up, how his sword was used to linchi the Chan cultivator, Lan WangJi says he cannot make a judgement because he has too little facts - I remember thinking that that was exactly it, that's what everyone in Mo Dao Zu Shi's world should be like. Lan XiChen asking Wei WuXian whether he thinks what his father did was right was another moment where they highlight withholding judgement until you know the facts. Later XiChen says you make your judgments based on your perspective when referring to how he always had a better opinion of Jin GuangYao than what was proving to be true. The second raid of burial mounds in the novel plays out with the reader aware by this point that the mob mentality is what's causing the most suffering. And I must agree, Jin GuangYao pointing out the truth at the end of Wei WuXian's demise being inevitable really hits home just how powerful the thoughtless mobs really were.
Thanks for a great video! If ever you feel like doing analysis of other tragically affected characters then a vid on Lan XiChen, Jiang Cheng and Nie HuaiSang would be great
Yo, loved your analysis of the ultimate villain of the untamed. really liked your point about the villain not being one specific individual but a faceless many. so often in life people don't stop to think about the other person's pov and just assume that they are right when given little to no evidence.
This man is the best actor ever like he played his character so well. I've watched alot of c drama but no one come close to him.
Which one?
people have mentioned that the “true villain” of mdzs is the crowd and concept of mob mentality, and this is 100% true, but it goes hand in hand with the class system being the “true villain” of the story as well. it’s not a mistake that the people responsible in a way for a lot of thr story’s events and even some of the paths the main villains went down are all very rich people in considerable positions of power in the cultivation world (talking about jin guangshan, wen ruohan, wen chao, etc).
Great commentary on the true villain of Untamed, the psychology of the mob and social media. I don't feel quite as icky about "falling" as hard as I did for Xue Yang now 😂😂😂.
The bad side of social media is been something that I've been thinking and reading about a lot the past few years. Even more so, with the recent passing of Victoria Song's former bandmate, Sulli. I've made a few friends around the world with it, so thankfully I've experienced the good side of SM mostly. However, when I see it get ugly, it does so in the absolute worst way. It's part of the reason why I consider myself semi retired from Twitter now.
Chinese Weibo and Twitter are both really bad, maybe Weibo even worse, but then I hardly use Twitter these days
I'm planning to rewatch the Untamed on Netflix. You were right to discuss bullying. My thoughts were on karma before you mentioned it.
I was married to a person like one of the villians. That's why Xichen is my favorite character. My we all become more like him in the age of Aquarius. Thanks for your insights.
Thank you for making this video and I wholeheartedly agree! The social commentary is actually one of the biggest reasons that MDZS (and consequently the Untamed) is in my top favorite novels. This is actually a big theme for MXTX, but it's examined wonderfully in MDZS. It's sad how most people do not even realise how one bad thing they say and soon forget can be the critical hit for another person.
*Thank you!* 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
Xue Yang is such a cute bad boy 💖
You are so very good at expressing your thoughts. I really will try to be aware in the future of when I might be in danger of becoming part of a mob mentality. None of us are immune to this. We are all human & are capable of doing awful things if we aren’t careful & thoughtful. Thanks.
(Btw, I already ordered my WWX & LZ pins!)
I admire you on hownyounwerenablento sum this all up, since this made perfect sense...since this things happen in real life, bullying is such a distraughtful event in ones life that leaves permanent scars,and as much as I am concerned, I couldn't agree more from what you have just said... I despise people who highly thought of themselves overlooking the reality that they somehow be damaging someones life just because they thought they are perfect, and whenever it backfires on them, they couldn't handle the burn of a the recoil. What a joke... and Thank You for this....
Amazing video, as usual. I specially like your The Untamed videos because you seem to really understand the messages behind it!
The rooftop scene was one of the scene I cried to when he stood there all by himself. Actually, one of my favorite dialog and scene in the entire drama too. It was so well acted and delivered that you realize the injustice Wei Wuxian went through yet no one tried to even listen.
Additionally, I find myself empathizing with Xue Yang more than Jin Guangyao although they are both villains of the story. I think it might be more so on the fact that Xue Yang was upfront with how evil he is while JGY was hiding behind a facade. So, even at the end of the drama, it makes me wonder, up to where was he telling the truth and up to where was he trying to evoke sympathy in others? He’s also very good with his words so that’s also why I think JGY was “scarier” as a villain than Xue Yang (although they’re not too far from each others in terms of being evil and scary 😅). While for XY, b/c he is upfront with his evilness, his actions of regrets and desire to bring XXC back makes it “easier” for me to empathize with him.
Wow it was amazing video. I thought you are going to name one of xueyang and jinguangyao as the evilest villain. I liked it that you focused on few characters and digged their back stories. Hope you will do more of these kinds of videos.
You have said all the things I need and more... I do hope people feel responsible for their words, Internet is still part of this world
Thanks for the great concern and effort. For my sake I noted points though it was about the untamed but it's really cool for me and the untamed shipping. Thanks again 🤗 🤗
You can not be anymore right than this. Even the first dialogue of the drama is them shouting whatever they want. And when wwx lampshaded the fact to lwj about it? So true. Good video.
Thanks for this video - very much showing the flip side of "the wisdom of the crowd" is the "mentality of a mob."
Great video!!!
Can you make a video analysis of Nie Huai Sang, is he the one who orchested everything? I have read the novel and watched the series but I just can not really believe it
I would watch that too! Did he really help Mo Xuan Yu 'sacrifice' himself for revenge? That's a topic worth discussing too. NHS surprised everyone
Yes, Nie Huaisang was the mastermind to get revenge to Jin Guangyao to the death of his brother.
AvenueX -Thank you for bringing this to the fore front - the MOB mentality. It is systemic in human society due to our programming to be a part of society "like everyone else". This is the core issue - like everyone else to be accepted - The leads as you have said stuck to their truth and did not give in to social expectations - this is the other core issue in Untamed also - instead of spoon feeding - everyone is given a choice do you want to be your authentic original self or societies version on what one should be - this played out in making the film on a smaller budget, lack of best skills in tech fines, acting pitfalls, viewers censor ship and bullying and most of all the censorship of the industry and yet still saying what you wanted to in out of the box ways. All can be classified into some form of mob mentality and standing on your own in your moral conviction of right thing to do for you. There are so many layers to this if looked at closely even more. AvenueX you have done a great job thank you i am so glad you did.
I love how u talked abt the villains. Instead of just focusing on the good guys we shld also discuss abt the bad guys too bc like u said a good guy is only as good as a villain. I actually watched this whole vid without fast forwarding at all.
After watching the series I wondered whether Xue Yang wanted to revive Xiao Zingchen because he wanted to kill him himself or to keep him around because he liked having him around as a "friend". And yes I agree with you on the whole mob mentality. Great video.
I agree with you! In all this points.
You’re from the same home town as Xiao zhan! 😯
Amazing points made. Excellent work
I agree entirely. Unfortunately I am not able to remember his name but the one character who totally embodied the principle was that middle-aged heavy-set leader of a small nameless sect who was always the first one to sniff the way the crowd was leaning, then stand up and pronounce that for all righteous and proper reasons we must condemn that person. He was so consistent I ended up naming him Lynch Mob Leader in my head canon. He was as much a main villain as the other two, causing as much trouble but for no reason other than wanting to look virtuous by pointing at the easiest target and whipping the mob into an active frenzy. We should not forget to doubt the motives of anyone who tries to lead a mob more than we do the person they are chasing at the moment.
Reminds me of the film Joker that recently got released. Really sad this is reality.
Exactly they are both so similar!
Watching this make me look at The Untamed differently. Btw did u know that the real mastermind is actually Nie HuaiSang!? I was so shocked when I found out. He apparently found mo xuanyu as a sacrifice for Wei Wuxian/ Wei Ying/ yi Ling Lao Zu nad summoned him so that Nie huaisang can discover the truth of his brother(nie mingjue)
Yay, I'm so excited you've put up another untamed video. I'm just starting it, literally 15seconds in, and my answer to this question is more i the vein of Jin GuangShan than any of the typical options. I look forward to hear your analysis/thoughts, so I'm jumping in now
Another thing is how fandom tends to handwave both Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huaisang's callous villainy. One doesn't stand up for Wen Ning who saves him, not for Wen Qing whom he professed to love, and while the sister is mourning goes off to kill his brother! Huaisang on the other hand doesn't help the elder brother Nie Mingjue in the war, doesn't learn to play Clarity for his health, and aggravates his illness by disobeying and quarrelling with him. Later he uses Mo Xuanyu to bring Wei Wuxian back - but when people were baying to attack the Burial Mounds did he try to ever defend his friend? Nope! He just wants to use him. Indeed, Huaisang manipulated Zewu-Jun into killing his friend, put many junior cultivators like Sizhui, Jingyi, Zizhen, Jin Ling into harm's way repeatedly whether Mo village, Yi city or the BM.
Jiang Wanyin also tortured the f**** out of anybody he even suspected of using demonic cultivation, because they could maybe be WWX
Wow! You just helped to fix a problem in the midpoint of my Novel that I'm writing. Thanks 😁
Such a brilliant commentary with valuable information. One person to balance all the Bleh! online
I feel the same way as you do!
This is such a brilliant video!
Hi I just discovered your website. Thank you. I am of course a fan of Untamed.
Thank you for a very good video! Many interesting opinions and thoughts! 🤗🤗🤗🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪
I love this video so much!! 100% facts what she's talking about. And the comparisons of wwx with the current real world. Love it
There was so much tragedy in this show and honestly the inevitability of the mob's misunderstandings and hatreds is the most tragic. Also, maybe it's just a topic that means a lot to you, but I"m really getting the impression that the Chinese internet is full of bullies... and I say that as someone who has been bullied online on the English internet. Though logically, I can't imagine the Chinese internet is worse than the English one. People are people, bullies are bullies, and exist everywhere.
Wow. That was so deep.
It was brilliant!!!
the ult villain is china's anti-LGBT laws for not letting these grown men be in love [jkjk but not really]
i finally finished watching it and loved everytjing about it, it has great villains, im so curious so watch them in cast in good roles
I agree 100% with you on everything you commented about the "mob mentality." Sadly it doesn't just apply to the internet, it also occurs in real life away from the internet (school bullying, genocides, etc).
Hi love your explanation of the untamed 👍😎
Yes, it is too easy to turn against someone, a few people that can be counted with fingers on one hand can turn into hundreds, thousands. With today's technology, it is even easier, and it especially hard for someone who is popular or in the spotlight. How much credibility do we give to these people who we know nothing about sprouting things about someone whom we have only seen their picture online. It is almost scary, how willing we are to believe these things. I believe partly stems from our apathy, not caring to seek the truth and not willing to understand enough. It has no personal connection to us, and what we do or say against them, we will probably forget the next day or week. When we gang up on someone we feel is bad, there is this intrinsic pleasure we feel from doing something we believe is good, from being part of this group who share the same feelings about something. We are justified because everyone else feels the same; this must be true because everyone around me says the same thing. An unwillingness to think for ourselves because someone else had set the path for us already, or a fear of thinking something different and invoking the crowd's ire. I believe MDZS gives pretty good examples of the types of people in the mob:
Yao sect leader: the type to be easily swayed and convinced into group think, and acts smart and speaks out for it as if it was their original idea all along.
The kid who shoots the arrow into Wei Ying: the type to be easily misled and act on behalf of "justice"
The kid who kills Jiang Yanli for revenge: the type who believe they should bear no consequences for their actions just because they are always "right"
Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao: those who try to manipulate group think for their own benefits
Jiang Chen: too scared to go against group think, and in a sense, manipulates himself into thinking like the crowd
The rest of them bystanders: sort of going along with them even though they don't know anything for the sake of being like the rest of them.
Well said! I was curious what this video was ultimately going to be about, and the mod mentality is definitely it! If every (even most) individual used critical thinking (as you mentioned) and did their own fact checking, the individual villains would have no followers... ohhhh, humanity! Thank you for your insightful video.
sigh, humanity~
That reminds me of the crowd two thousand years ago screaming: "Crucify him! Crucify him!". It is a mob mentality.
I agree mob because after wei saves them and they find out it wasn’t him doing all these bad thing they ask him to help take down the villain of the day it’s so crazy...yep I believe in karma there is a saying in our family what goes around comes around and treat someone like you want to be treated. I think a lot of families believe this at least I hope