THE WOLF: AN ICONIC LOVE STORY (Eng.)

THE WOLF: An Iconic Love Story

We all know the story: on December 19th, with no warning whatsoever, The Wolf exploded into the Chinese ether like a massive fireworks display, all at once! After being shelved for a period of about 3 years, Taiwanese writer/producer Frankie Chen got a phone call about 30 minutes before The Wolf was finally due to air... and presto the series become an instant hit, collecting well deserved end-of-year awards. Here in Europe the 49 episode series was subbed and streamed in instalments, which ended yesterday Jan 14th 2021). That said, by the end of last year, despite not having yet watched the full final episodes (only clips of the main scenes and finale spoilers), I did not hesitate in placing The Wolf  at the top of my Favourite Dramas of 2020. 

In the past 15 months I have found myself watching exclusively Chinese series, and the ones which gripped me in 2020 were Forward Forever with Z.Tao, Jackson Yi and Wang Rui Chang, The Legend of Xiao Chuo with Shawn Dou and Tiffany Tang, Winter Begonia with Huang Xiao Ming and Andrew Yin, and Cross Fire with Lu Han and Leo Wu. I also really enjoyed The Romance of Tiger and Rose with the fabulous Zhao Lu Zi and Ryan Ding, with its funny moments and fresh, tongue-in-cheeck commentary on gender inequality. But ultimately only The Wolf truly took me by storm...

The reasons for having fallen deeply for The Wolf are several, but I guess they mainly come from that secret, deeply individual place within, where emotions, inspiration, longing and creativity all melt in one. Of course I was eagerly waiting to see Xiao Zhan's comeback after his difficult forced hiatus (now transformed, phoenix-like, into a spectacular triumph), but there was also something about the story of a kid being raised by wolves that intrigued me a lot: the dark, mysterious posters of the drama showed me images that silently resonated within my soul.

Something clicked inside me only while watching the 4th episode. From then on, I felt confident I would love the story! This is when the figure of Prince Bo comes into being, revealing the acting skills and charisma of Darren Wang/Wang Ta Lu (pronuncia: wan da-lú). The Taiwanese actor has been in the Chinese spotlight in 2017/18, but at the time I was still too involved in Japanese cinema and dramas to notice (Yes, I am indeed one of the many children spawned from the stellar The Untamed from back in summer 2019). 

Now I am definitely a fan of 29 year-old Ta Lu, finding his strong, well contrasted portrayal of Lord Bo/Wolfie absolutely fantastic and unforgettable. It is really sad that his mother died before The Wolf came out: seeing the wonderful performance of her beloved boy would have made her very proud. He has demonstrated his acting qualities by rendering a decidedly dark and tormented character with convincing intensity, while being, in real life, a charming, happy-go-lucky sweetheart whose big smile beams with life and sincere gratefulness for a career he seems cut out for.

Having worked mainly in Taiwan (as a model and actor in small films) during his humble beginnings, he is finally a 30-year-old young man with huge opportunities in mainland China (he is currently hosting a TV dating series). After the huge disappointment of seeing his big break drama (The Wolf) being halted for reasons alien to him (a mix of politics, due to the occasional tensions with Taiwan, and the notorious huge upheaval which involved Xiao Zhan), he can only look ahead with his typical child-like enthusiasm. 

One last observation about Wang Ta Lu. How many of us, only too used to admire and drool over the perfect beauty of so many Asian actors/singers, looked at his image on the promo posters of The Wolf for the first time and thought, well, he is "unusual"... His silly look as naive adolescent Wolfie certainly didn't help, but as soon as Lord Bo appeared in "flesh and bones", his personality and charisma literally exploded onto the screen. Touching and tormented, sensual and disciplined, secretly romantic and physically explosive at once...

Personally, I fell completely in love with Ta Lu's character, and also began to see the actor as the truly handsome and confident man that he is. But I guess for me the stigma of having darker skin is not an issue... Unfortunately also in Asian countries, from India to Japan, having dark skin is still synonymous of lowly social status if not racial inferiority. Hence many are used to see our Asian heartthrobs with extremely pale skin, of course provided by layers of make-up, quite visible in camera close-ups whenever digital adjustments are not performed. 

Controversially, in The Wolf Ta Lu wore over his natural olive skin tone a dark (sometimes almost orangey!) foundation, since the dark shade of Lord Bo's skin was meant to bring the attention to his wild, not noble origins. Even Xiao Zhan's skin looks very tanned compared to the flawless porcelain-white we are used to see him appear in: that is because of his character's choice of living a care-free life rather than a princely one. So well done production for sticking to real-life in that department! Still, sadly Wang Ta Lu has been criticised by the usual braindead netizens, who nastily described him as dark-skinned, with a huge mouth (even Xiao Zhan described him as being the perfect wolf because of his big mouth) and teeth far too white... Even in the drama itself Princess Ma Zhao Xing, despite being in love with him, at one point calls him ugly! Luckily, at the end of the series, she finally gushes over him, telling him how handsome he is, and how beautiful his smile is... Ta Lu has even been asked in live interviews about the size of his mouth: I have to say, as a colleague, that the rudeness and abruptness of some Chinese journalists is truly staggering! 

What intrigues me about Prince Bo is what initially appears to be an extreme case of schizophrenic personality: the loving and affectionate old Wolfie seems to still barely exist within him, long rooted instead in the ruthless persona of a warrior-machine manipulated by an evil and devious father-Emperor. The return of his long lost love, interpreted by the ever gorgeous Li Qin, sparks a truly moving story, in fact one of the most iconic love stories in recent times (certainly since the airing of Princess Agents), where we slowly see the true personality of Lord Bo lurking from the heavy shadow of his personal burdens. And like any great love story, there is a crucial element that comes into play from episode 11: the arrival on the scene of a rival in love, played by Xiao Zhan. 

The character played by the superstar (recently crowned as Most Beautiful Man in the World) is extremely likeable. Producer Frankie Chan describes her encounter with Xiao Zhan while finalising the cast for the series. She told in an interview (source: Marcus Sim) how she had met all members of X-NINE, the boy-band he was then a member of, yet she was truly impressed by him alone: she found him exquisitely beautiful and graceful. Being the character of Ji Chong quite rough though, she warned him she would "destroy his exquisiteness", and he agreed. This is one of the many examples of Xiao Zhan's steely determination and dedication to the profession he loves.

At the beginning of The Wolf Xiao Zhan appears to be a free-spirited bounty hunter who hides a righteous Robin Hood-like personality. In reality he is a self-exiled, valiant Prince of the enemy state Prince Bo is supposed to defeat and conquer. Falling for the same girl ignites a fiery triangle where dark-politic dynamics and lies create a constant imbalance between the main couple, causing deep wounds and misunderstandings. Although some of the plot twists are indeed predictable, it doesn't mean the story is meaningless. We are in front of a universal human tragedy revolving around the eternal battle between good and evil/love and hate/empathy and greed, with classic elements of chivalry. Myths and archetypes are still a huge part of our consciousness: whenever a story is told with passion and honesty, it hardly fails to make an impact. I believe this is the case, as the poignant fan video below, evoking powerful Eastern European folk mythology, suggests (courtesy of Gank's "Resurrection", a sensational remix of a Bulgarian folk song).

(WARNING: Prince Bo's smooth six pack on full display!!) 

THE WOLF FAN-TRIBUTE by 熊孩子Kramer

Costume Chinese dramas are fascinating on so many levels. Even when the mythical elements abound, they are always grounded in true historical eras. The Wolf is set in the Tang period, just before the first millenium of our western era. Despite a far from stellar budget, here costumes and settings are particularly striking for the choice of dark and gloomy shades, very apt to a drama set in mournful and cruel warring times. The brooding images of the valleys and mountains surrounding Shangri-la City (Autonomous Prefecture of Tibetan Diqing, Yunnan) are simply bewitching. Another striking element is the abundant use of meteorology to strongly suggest a particular mood: the vast, menacing dark skies and the pelting downpours shift the viewers inside the dramatic events, soaking us to the bones. On the other hand, the explosion of Summer dotted with butterflies (symbol of the couple young love), fills us with warmth inside. 

Having mentioned the evocative use of the butterfly as quintessential gentle and delicate metaphor of ephemeral beauty, freedom and love, the bell charm hanging from Ma Zhao Xing's belt is also a powerful aural symbol of the deep connection between her and Wolf/Bo. I dare say, the esoteric sound of the bell is indeed what ties them through tine and space. But for me there is an even stronger element which kept moving me to tears each time it surfaced into the story, and that also goes for each of the 49 episodes, when the end credits rolled out... The wonderful shadow marionettes which represented Wolfie and young Ma Zhai Xing in the act of chasing butterflies. The power of the two exquisite colourful figurines is tremendous, and truly testifies for the ancient Chinese tradition of puppetry which, traveling across land and time, informed other Asian cultures and keeps enchanting us to this very day. 

Since this unmissable series is now over, forgive me a small spoiler if you haven't yet watched The Wolf. I did dread the arrival of episode 49, where the drama reached its epilogue. Perhaps I didn't shed many tears because I was already fully prepared, but I have to say that the saddest moments of tragic separation were dealt with particular care. We learned that Wolf/Bo disappeared into the Forest he had been brought up in, never to be seen again, and that is exactly what I expected of him...

And we also have the surprise of the pairing between Ji Chong (Xiao Zhan) and the sunny, diminutive but explosive Princess Bao Na (Suo Shu Yao also from Taiwan). While some ZhanGe fans have not appreciated this unforetold ending, maybe deeming Bao Na unworthy of their hero, I have to say I appreciated the twist very much. Firstly, Ji Chong is a rebel who doesn't care about wealth, power and rules, and the daring little Princess is exactly his match. They share a happy-go-lucky personality that seeks enjoyment and adventure from life, and it is wonderful that they have eventually found one another through the strength of a loyal friendship.  

Last but not least, a great drama must have a great OST, and The Wolf boasts a soundtrack that is genuinely addictive. Not only does it nail the heartbreaking love, the longing for a lost time of bliss and purity, but it makes each scene so much more powerful and memorable. Also, it's quite rare for both the intro and outro of a series to be equally as good and extremely enjoyable. I often find myself skipping the credits to jump straight into the story, while with The Wolf I loved to savour every second of "Who am I?" and "Turn Back Time", sang by the lovely voice of Taiwanese Jolin Tsai (with a rapped part in the former, courtesy of Jony J). In fact, while waiting for the next subbed episodes, I often played the full OST, feeling melancholy and hopeful at the same time. I am sure you did too...