Afternoona Asks | Autistic coded characters: Lan Wangji in The Untamed

This Valentine’s Day, the feeling of sticking to the single log bridge with us until it’s dark is not too bad! Finally, we’re covering the Untamed, starring Wang Yibo (王一博) and Xiao Zhan (肖战). Yes, one of the most watched series in Asian television history with 10 billion views domestically as of 2022 in China on one service alone, never mind the huge international success and acclaim it garnered. This all with a cleverly crafted and nuanced production that captured the spirit of the original novel, while being able to stay within the framework of China’s strict onscreen morality laws.

Franziska (@wanderingfranzi) and J (@theflowerthatbloomsalone) are joined by enthusiastic fandom guests and fanfic writers Jie (@JieJie_AiNi), Kaey (@Firebrd86) and PaidSubscription (@PaidSubAO3) for a deep dive into autistic-coded Lan Wangji.

In this part one of two, we discuss which of Wangji’s traits resonated the most for us, what we loved about his character development as an autistic-coded character (is it one of the best arcs ever?), and how and why his relationship with ADHD-coded Wei Wuxian just works so well.

Join us as four fandom nerds and one very enthusiastic cohost (who wants to binge watch it all again) theorise a possible reason why the Lan clan has those 3000 rules and if in a modern alternate universe, Lan Wangji would make his own phone calls.

Note: this pod contains spoilers

Plus be sure to listen to part two (to be released shortly) where we will discuss the Cloud Recessess as a haven but also a constraint on an autistic Wangji, as well as how Wei Wuxian was the first one to really perceive Wangji and hear “the melody of his heart.” Add in queer symbolism, how an autistic Wangji articulates the drama’s themes, and a chat about the fics our authors have written. Don’t miss it!

Link:
The link to the translated portion of the interview with the author MXTX mentioned in the pod: https://asksythe.tumblr.com/post/716755273102082048/mxtx-interview-with-risa-wataya-for-subaru/amp

#kdramapodcast #kdramapodcasts #Idrama #cdramas #cdrama #chinesedrama #xianxia #koreandramapodcasts #asiandramas #asiandramapodcast #autisticcoded #autisticpodcast #theuntamed #mdzs #chenqingling #lanwangji #weiwuxian #lanzhan #weiying

What is Afternoona Asks?

Annyeonghaseyo! We are Grace and Sarah, Asian KDrama fans who love to ask, and hopefully find answers to, all of our (and your) Asian drama questions. We cover everything, from silly topics to sensitive and serious issues that come up as we binge.

We'll also share some Korean and Chinese language tips, as well as our experiences as diaspora Asians living in the UK and US.

Afternoona Asks ND:
Quirky, partly queer and quite late diagnosed, we are the Afternoona Asks ND (neurodivergent) squad - Sarah, J and Fran.
J is Canadian bringing up her ND family in Australia and is late diagnosed autistic.
Fran hails from Germany and is ADHD/Autistic.
Sarah is a British Chinese and part of a mixed NT/ND family.
We're here for straight talk, standing up for representation, breaking down stereotypes and challenging ableist perceptions.
If you've want to explore the Autistic and/or ADHD experience via Korean and other Asian dramas you've come to the right place.
We're here to discuss all kinds of neurodivergencies with a dose of scientific research and our own lived experience sprinkled on top.

Join us as we delve into the details and societal context of the dramas we all love!